title: Knowledge and Practice on Injection Safety among Primary Health Care Workers in Kaski District, Western Nepal.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Unsafe injection practice can transmit various blood borne infections. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and practice of injection safety among injection providers, to obtain information about disposal of injectable devices, and to compare the knowledge and practices of urban and rural injection providers.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted with injection providers working at primary health care facilities within Kaski district, Nepal. Ninety-six health care workers from 69 primary health care facilities were studied and 132 injection events observed. A semi-structured checklist was used for observing injection practice and a questionnaire for the survey. Respondents were interviewed to complete the questionnaire and obtain possible explanations for certain observed behaviors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All injection providers knew of at least one pathogen transmitted through use/re-use of unsterile syringes. Proportion of injection providers naming hepatitis/jaundice as one of the diseases transmitted by unsafe injection practice was significantly higher in urban (75.6%) than in rural (39.2%) area. However, compared to urban respondents (13.3%), a significantly higher proportion of rural respondents (37.3%) named Hepatitis B specifically as one of the diseases transmitted. Median (inter-quartile range) number of therapeutic injection and injectable vaccine administered per day by the injection providers were 2 (1) and 1 (1), respectively. Two handed recapping by injection providers was significantly higher in urban area (33.3%) than in rural areas (21.6%). Most providers were not aware of the post exposure prophylaxis guideline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The knowledge of the injection providers about safe injection practice was acceptable. The use of safe injection practice by providers in urban and rural health care facilities was almost similar. The deficiencies noted in the practice must be addressed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Kaski, Pin code: 33700, Nepal.
authors.forename: Sudesh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gyawali
authors.affiliation: NIMS Institute of Pharmacy, NIMS University, Shobha Nagar, Jaipur-Delhi Highway, Jaipur, Pin code: 303121, India.
authors.forename: Devendra Singh
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Rathore
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Xavier University School of Medicine, Oranjestad, Aruba, Kingdom of the Netherlands.
authors.forename: P Ravi
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Shankar
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Prithvi Narayan Multiple Campus, Pokhara, Kaski, Pin code 33700, Nepal.
authors.forename: Vikash Kumar
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Kc
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, KIST Medical College, Imadol, Lalitpur, Pin code: 44705, Nepal.
authors.forename: Nisha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jha
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Kaski, Pin code: 33700, Nepal.
authors.forename: Damodar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sharma
keywords: Nepal; health personnel; injection; injection safety; needle stick injury