Needlestick and sharps injuries and its preventive implications among cleaners in tertiary public hospitals, Ethiopia.

backgroundHospital cleaners frequently get needle stick and sharps injuries (NSSIs), which are described as unintentional injuries brought on by various sharp objects, needles, scalpels, and glass slides, cutting through the skin while providing cleaning and managing medical care. However, there are fewer studies among these marginalized working groups than among other healthcare staffs.

objectiveThe study aimed to assess NSSIs, associated factors among hospital cleaners and preventive implications in eight selected tertiary public hospitals of eastern part of Ethiopia.

methodsA hospital-based Cross-sectional study design was conducted in eight selected tertiary public hospitals of eastern part of Ethiopia. The study period ranged from May 1st, 2023, to August 30th, 2023. The study’s source was all hospitals in eastern Ethiopia. From 8 tertiary hospitals, 342 cleaners were randomly selected. The prevalence of NSSIs among cleaners for the last 12 months was calculated using the single-proportion formula. Face-to-face data collection was conducted. To ensure the validity of the data, data collectors were trained, and standard and structured questionnaires were developed. The data were coded and exported into EpiData 3.1 before being exported to Stata 17. Hospital cleaners frequently get needle stick and sharps injuries (NSSIs), which are described as unintentional injuries brought on by various sharp objects, including needles, scalpels, and glass slides, cutting through the skin while providing medical care. The crude odds ratio (COR) and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) were displayed with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness-of-fit tests were employed. Multicollinearity was tested using the variance inflation factor (VIF).

resultThe prevalence of acute NSSIs in the last 12 months among cleaners of tertiary government hospitals was 68.14% (95%CI:62.69,73,23%). The injured body parts were fingers, feet/toes, arms, and legs, which were shared by 46.68%, 26.50%, 17.67% and 14.20%, respectively. Multivariable logistic logistic shows that safety factors such as lack of occupational health and safety [OHS] training (AOR: 2.27; 95%CI: 1.09, 4.71), non-compliance of PPE (AOR: 2.00; 95%CI: 1.00,4.78), working more than 8 h hours per day (AOR: 4.12; 95%CI: 2.76, 9.45) were increased odds of NSSIs. Also, working at night (AOR: 2.21; 95%CI: 1.03, 4.72), job stress (AOR: 7.16; 95%CI: 4.23, 12.10), and workload (AOR: 6.84; 95%CI: 2.14, 21.83) increased the odds of NSSIs. Meanwhile, lack of supervision (AOR: 5.34; 95%CI: 2.54,8.87), lack of post-exposure prophylaxis service (AOR: 3.53; 95%CI: 1.01,6.78), and weak implementation of prevention and control service (AOR: 6.12; 95%CI: 3.56,16.87) increased the odds of NSSIs among hospital cleaners.

conclusionThere is still considerable public health concern about the prevalence of NSSIs among hospital cleaners. The main identified associated factors were lack of OHS training, working more than 8 h hours per day, job stress, workload, lack of supervision, lack of post-exposure prophylaxis service, and weak implementation of IPC service. Therefore, this study advised that safety procedures and the appropriate use of safety equipment, ongoing educational campaigns, and focused training programs are crucial to control the risk of NSSIs among these marginalized groups. In addition, the initial increase in NSSIs that was noted after safety measures were put in place emphasizes the need for ongoing education and practical training to guarantee that these features are used effectively.