Background: Everyday health care personnel risk transmission of bloodborne diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. A way of transmission is needle stick injuries or exposure to body fluid containing blood. Eighty percent of Danish doctors have had a needle stick injury during their career. Even though the prevalence of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV is low in Denmark, the risk of needle stick injuries is substantial. As of the 1st of January 2020 the Department of Infectious Diseases overtook the management of needle stick injuries at Aalborg University Hospital. As part of the transfer a few changes were made in the management of the injuries.
Aim: The aim of this study is to make an inventory of the needle stick injuries at Aalborg University Hospital and describe the injuries regarding place of injury and injury mechanism. Furthermore, this study aims to describe the compliance regarding the treatment and follow-up tests. All this to investigate if any improvements can be made regarding the management of the needle stick injuries.
Method: All needle stick injuries handled at Aalborg University Hospital from the 1st of January 2020 to the 1st of June 2021 has been included in this study. All clinical records of the injuries have been reviewed and information regarding the injury mechanism, place of injury, vaccination status of the injured, blood samples from the injured and the source and compliance regarding treatment and follow-up tests has been noted in a REDCap®-database. All data has been analyzed in STATA.
Results: 503 needle stick injuries have been reported in the period in question. 297 of the injuries have been reported at the hospital. The most common type of exposure is by puncture of the skin. The most common instrument involved in the injury is a needle. Blood samples have been taken on 13,4% of the known sources. At the hospital 42,8% of the injured personnel have been vaccinated against hepatitis B before their injury. Only 199 (39,6%) of the injured have fully adhered to the follow-up by the Department of Infectious Diseases. 53,4% of the hospital staff have finished their hepatitis B vaccination, while 72,5% have had all the recommended blood samples taken.
Conclusion: This study concludes that there is a need for sufficient education regarding the prevention of needle stick injuries, how to fill out the clinical records, and education regarding the importance of completing the vaccination against hepatitis B and the follow-up blood samples.