title: Safe injection practice among health care workers, Gharbiya, Egypt.
abstract: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 25 health care facilities in Gharbiya governorate to assess safe injection practices among health care workers (HCWs). Two questionnaires, one to collect information about administrative issues related to safe injection and the other to collect data about giving injections, exposure to needle stick injuries, hepatitis B vaccination status and safe injection training. Practices of injections were observed using a standardized checklist. The study revealed that there was lack of both national and local infection control policies and lack of most of the supplies needed for safe injection practices. Many safe practices were infrequent as proper needle manipulation before disposal (41%), safe needle disposal (47.5%), reuse of used syringe & needle (13.2%) and safe syringe disposal (0%). Exposure to needle stick injuries were common among the interviewed HCWs (66.2%) and hand washing was the common post exposure prophylaxis measure (63.4%). Only 11.3% of HCWs had full course hepatitis B vaccination. Infection control -including safe injections- training programs should be afforded to all HCWs.
authors.affiliation: Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine department University of Tanta, Tanta, Egypt. nanees_gad@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Nanees A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.forename: Aisha M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Aboul Ftouh
authors.forename: Waleed H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: El Shoubary
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004209:Disposable Equipment; D004534:Egypt; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006268:Health Facilities / Q000592:standards; D058016:Health Facility Administration; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000458:organization & administration; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000517:prevention & control; D007267:Injections / Q000592:standards*; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal / Q000379:methods; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal