title: Implication of the prevalence of needlestick injuries in a general hospital in Malaysia and its risk in clinical practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of cases and episodes of needlestick injury among three groups of health care workers in the past one-year, the level of knowledge on blood-borne diseases and universal precautions and the practice of universal precautions. Other factors associated with the occurrence of needlestick injuries and the reporting of needlestick injuries were also analysed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted in May 2003 to study the needlestick injuries among 285 health care workers (doctors, nurses, medical students) in a public teaching hospital in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of needlestick injuries among the respondents was 24.6% involving 71 cases i.e. 48.0% among doctors, 22.4% among medical students, and 18.7% among nurses and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). There were a total of 174 episodes of needlestick injury. Prevalence of episode of needlestick injuries was highest among doctors (146%), followed by nurses (50.7%) and medical students (29.4%). Cases of needlestick injuries attained lower scores on practice of universal precautions compared to non-cases (p<0.001). About 59% of cases of needlestick injury did not report their injuries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study showed that needlestick injuries pose a high risk to health care workers and it is underreported most of the time. Many needlestick injuries can be prevented by strictly following the practice of universal precautions.
authors: Sesama Centre Plaza Komanwel, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, laikah@imu.edu.my.
authors: Lai Kah
authors: LK
authors: Lee
authors: Ismail Noor
authors: IN
authors: Hassim