Safa Elmi
1, Javad Babaie
2, Masoumeh Malek
3, Zahra Motazedi
4, Kavous Shahsavarinia
5*1 Hashtruod Imam Hossein Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
2 Department of Health Services Management, School of Management and Medical Informatics, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
3 Department of Internal Surgery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4 Infectious and Tropical Disease Research Center, Nursing Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
5 Road Traffic Injury Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: Infectious diseases have threatened human health
throughout the history. One way of transmission of such diseases is exposing to
the needle sticks. The present study was carried out aiming to introduce and
investigate risk factors related to needle sticks and ways of prevention of
infectious diseases related to needle stick among health care staff.
Methods: Searching
key words including needle sticks,
occupational injuries, occupational exposures (OEs) and infectious diseases,
the researchers undertook a comprehensive investigation regardless of
publication year of the reviewed articles in references including, Medline,
CINAHL, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect and
Scopus. Then the collected articles were scrutinized and processed.
Results: Dealing
with needle sticks can transmit more than 20 types of pathogens including
Hepatitis B, C and human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV). Among health care staff,
nurses are more vulnerable compared to others.
Conclusion:
Exposure to blood and other risky body liquids is a
serious risk factor among health care
workers. Training medical staff, establishing reporting systems, changing high risk behaviors and vaccination can play an
important role in prevention of the
infectious diseases.