title: Injection practices of healthcare professionals in a Tertiary Care Hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Unsafe injection practices are prevalent worldwide and may result in spread of infection. Thus the present study was planned to observe the injection practices of healthcare professionals (HCP), including aseptic precautions and disposal of used syringes/needle.
  
  
  METHODS
  Injection practices were observed in the outpatients and inpatients departments. Questionnaire was designed, tested and administered for this purpose.
  
  
  RESULTS
  130 patients receiving injections were observed. Overall injection practices of the HCP were satisfactory. However, unsafe practices with respect to not washing hands (95.4%), not wearing/changing gloves (61.6%), recapping of needles (12.2%), wiping of needle with swab (15.4%) and breaking of ampoule with solid object (44.4%) were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The problem of unsafe injections can be successfully addressed by organizing continuing medical education/symposium/workshops for improving the knowledge, attitude and practices of the HCP. Periodic monitoring and such interventions may also further improve safe injection practices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi - 110 001, India. harmeetrehan@hotmail.com
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Rehan
authors.forename: Deepti
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chopra
authors.forename: Ravinder Kumar
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Sah
authors.forename: Tanuj
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chawla
authors.forename: Arpit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D006282:Health Personnel; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D007267:Injections / Q000379:methods*; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D017744:Medical Waste Disposal