title: Knowledge, perception and practice of injection safety and healthcare waste management among teaching hospital staff in south east Nigeria: an intervention study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health care workers are exposed to the risk of blood-borne diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C in their daily encounter with infected patients and materials through unsafe injections. This study determined the baseline and post-intervention knowledge and practice of modern injection safety standards among health care workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population was the healthcare workers in a teaching hospital in southeastern Nigeria. Data was collected using a self-administered 37-item structured questionnaire assessing their knowledge and practice on injection safety. Collected data was analyzed using SPSS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nurses comprised 62.8% (98/156) of the population. While most had heard of injection safety only 67.2% (84/125) had previously had any form of training on it. Only 54% (81/150) had heard or seen color coded bins. The standard needle and syringe is still widely used and 45% (65/145) still recap needles on syringes after use irrespective of type of personnel. Half (50.6% =78/154) of our respondents had had a previous needle prick injury. Only 25.6% (20/78) with previous needle prick injury had post-exposure prophylaxis. All doctors and laboratory scientists always use gloves compared to 94.8% (91/96) nurses while handling patients or materials. Following the intervention, a significantly high number became aware of post-exposure prophylaxis and color coded bins and liners.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need for healthcare workers to be regularly updated on changing safety standards in their practice. Also hospitals must be encouraged to acquire and use internationally accepted standard materials in collection and disposal patient's samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Oguamanam Okezie
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Enwere
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Kevin Chiekulie
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Diwe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D007267:Injections / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D008875:Middle Aged; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control; D009549:Nigeria; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D017744:Medical Waste Disposal
keywords: Needle prick; South Eastern Nigeria; colour coding; health workers; post-exposure prophylaxis; teaching hospital