This cross-sectional study was conducted to prepare fundamental data on a preventive program for needlestick injuries among Korean hospital employees.
The data was collected from a total of 1430 employees working in four different S. University hospitals, from September 29 to October 11, 1997. The sample subjects were asked on a questionaire about the incidences and the influencing factors of needlestick injuries (N.I.). These questions consisted of those induced by the researcher´ s observation of needlestick injuries, Wallston & Wallston´ s Multidimentional Locus of Control Scale (MHNC) and the Japanese Industrial Health Association´ s Fatique Questionaire Method Form. The data collected wes analyzed with the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science)/P.C. and the summary of the results are as follows
1. During a 7 month period, about 51.2% of the subjects experienced N.I. on average of 1.9 times and 51.2% of the N.I., were repeat injury cases, 12.0% being repeated 3-4 times and 6.9%r being repeated more than 5 times.
2. It was more likely that N.I. occur after practice (68.0%) than during practice. The actions related to NI were recapping (20.0%), arrangement of needles after use, disassembling of the needles (13.2%), blood sampling(7.9%) and between intravenous injections (6.3%). More than two-thirds of the N.I. were related to plain needle (75.7%), scalp needle(7.5%) and vacuum tube needles (5.1%).
3. Underreporting of blood transmitted diseases (BTDs) of patients totaled 22.7% while 55% of hospital employees reported that patients had no BTDs. Reported BTDs were hepatitis B (12.2%) and hepatitis C (7.3%).
4. Of the N.I. cases, 75.5% answered that they were knowledgable on the N.I. management
measurements, while a comparatively small proportion (17.6%) reported N.I. to unit managers and actually receive proper management. 66.6%e were only treated with a disinfectants and 13.4% did not received any treatment at all.
5. Statistically significant factors between the case and control groups were associated with host factors (e.g., sex, age, marrital status, educational background, work experience, type of job), agent factors (e.g., the use of BST needle) and environmental factors (e.g., working situation, duty, the degree of communication on N.I., and the discovery of used needles in places other than their disassembling container.
In conclusion, it is necessary to prepare needlestick injury precautions on the basis of risk factors to protect hospital employees against the danger of needlestick injuries. Therefore variables identified in this study will be a useful, effective guideline.
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