Abstract
Objective: Healthcare workers may have been exposed to injuries in their work areas. In this study, infections, risk factors and recommendations that will be able to occur after the contact with the sharp injuries have been tried to be examined.
Materials and Methods: Exposure to the sharp injuries of the healthcare workers who worked at Cizre State Hospital between 2012 and 2019 was retrospectively evaluated.
Results: Over an eight-year period, 132 people were exposed to the sharp injuries. The occupational group most exposed to the sharp injuries were the nurses (69.7%). Injuries were more common in the emergency department (21.2%) and blood collection units (17.5%). The most common cause of injury was the needle tip exposure (76.5%) and the most frequently injured body part was fingertip (72.7%). Injuries were mostly superficial injuries (72.7%). In the evaluation of infectious diseases related to the source patient exposed to the sharp injuries; while the source was found in 45.5% of injuries. There was no known infectious disease in 46 people (34.9%) whom the source was identified. The presence of Hepatitis B was known in 10 people (7.6%), and hepatitis C in 4 people (3%).
Conclusion: In our study, it was observed that the sharp and cutting tool injuries occurred at high rates. It was observed that the nurses from the occupational groups were more frequently exposed to the injury, and the injury was more common in the emergency room, and also most of the injuries were related to the needle tip exposure.