Needlestick and sharps injuries in a tertiary hospital in the Republic of Korea

doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2007.07.011

American Journal of Infection Control

Volume 36, Issue 6, August 2008, Pages 439-443

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2007.07.011 Get rights and content

Background

The high incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the Republic of Korea has focused attention on monitoring the occurrence and characteristics of needlestick and sharps injuries (NSIs) as part of an effort to reduce the occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens such as HBV. This study investigated NSIs reported in a tertiary referral hospital in Busan, Republic of Korea over a 6-year period (2001 to 2006).

Method

Data on the number of NSIs, places where NSIs occurred, devices causing injury, purpose of using sharps, and circumstances surrounding NSIs were collected from the study hospital's NSI database. The incidence of NSIs per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees was calculated by year and by profession.

Results

A total of 221 NSI cases were reported during the study period. Overall incidence was 2.6 cases per 100 FTE employees per year, with the highest rate occurring in interns (17.7 cases per 100 FTE interns per year). Some 34% of cases occurred in the ward, needles were the most common device causing injury (73%), and the most common circumstance surrounding an NSI was after sharps use and before disposal (24%).

Conclusion

The pattern of NSI occurrence found in this study was comparable to that reported in previous studies. However, the overall incidence of NSIs was significantly lower than that in previous studies, apparently related to underreporting of NSIs. Further research to investigate reasons for this underreporting is recommended. Considering the high incidence of NSIs in interns, in-service training for this group should be enhanced.

Section snippets

Methods

The study hospital, Pusan National University Hospital (PNUH), is a university-affiliated tertiary referral hospital in Busan, Republic of Korea. Located in southeast Korea, Busan is the Korea's second-largest city, with a population of about 3.3 million in 2005.⁸ PNUH is the largest hospital in Busan, with 1081 beds in 2006. The 1528 employees involved in direct patient care or with potential exposure to NSIs in 2006 included 489 physicians (217 staff, 215 residents, 57 interns) 577 registered

Incidence of NSIs

A total of 221 NSIs were reported during the 6-year study period. The overall incidence per 100 FTE employees was 2.6 per year, ranging from a low of 1.6 in 2001 to a high of 3.5 in 2005. The incidence was highest in physicians (3.7), particularly interns (17.7), followed by nurses (2.6) (Fig 1).

Characteristics of NSI occurrence

Characteristics of NSI occurrence are listed in Table 1. In terms of location, 34% of the NSIs occurred in the ward, and 28% occurred in the operating room. Syringe needles were the most common devices

Discussion

A total of 221 NSIs were reported during the 6-year study period, for an overall incidence of 2.6 cases per 100 FTE employees per year. This rate is lower than that reported in previous studies (eg, 3.9 per 100 FTE employees per year,¹⁰ 5.3 per 100 FTE employees per year,¹¹ and 0.61 per 1000 employee days¹²). Considering that the training on postexposure reporting at PNUH started in 2005, this lower incidence seems to be related to underreporting. The other possible reason for the lower

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Major articleNeedlestick and sharps injuries in a tertiary hospital in the Republic of Korea

Background

Method

Results

Conclusion

Section snippets

Methods

Incidence of NSIs

Characteristics of NSI occurrence

Discussion

Vaccine

Am J Infect Control

J Prof Nurs

J Hosp Infect

Am J Infect Control

AORN guidance statement: sharps injury prevention in the perioperative setting

AORN J

Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS: current status, trends, and prospects

J Korean Med Assoc

Major article
Needlestick and sharps injuries in a tertiary hospital in the Republic of Korea