Occupational Exposure to Needle Stick and Sharp Injuries and Associated Factors among Health Care Workers in Awi Zone, Amhara Regional State, Northwest Ethiopia, 2016

BACKGROUND: Needle stick and sharp injuries were one of the major risk factors for blood and body fluid borne infections at health care facilities. OBJECTIVE: To assess occupational exposure to needle stick and sharp injuries and associated factors among health care workers in Awi zone, 2016. METHODS: institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among 193 health care workers. Study participants were selected using systematic random sampling technique. RESULT: When queried, 18.7% of the respondents' encountered needle stick and sharp injury in the last 1 year. Participants who practiced needle recapping and had job related stress were 21.3 and 7.3 times more likely to face needle stick and sharp injury, respectively. However, those who apply universal precautions and acquire the required skill were 99% and 96% times less likely to face needle stick and sharp injury, respectively, than their counterparts. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The prevalence of needle stick and sharp injury was relatively low as compared to previous studies. Recapping of needle after use, job related stress, not applying universal precautions, and lack of the required skill were associated with needle stick and sharp injuries. Therefore, health care providers should apply universal precaution.