Needle stick injuries among medical students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Safety
• Infectious Disease Prevention

Background:

• Medical students perform invasive procedures during clinical training.
• Adherence to safety precautions is crucial for preventing sharps injuries and infection transmission.
• Previous studies indicate varying levels of safety protocol adherence among trainees.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess safety precautions and injury rates among medical students during invasive procedures.
• To identify common procedures and associated injury risks.
• To evaluate the use of personal protective equipment, such as gloves.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire was distributed to 200 medical students regarding safety practices.
• 106 completed questionnaires were analyzed.
• Data collected included procedure frequency, injury occurrence, and glove usage.
• Injury causes were specifically investigated, with a focus on needle re-sheathing.

Main Results:

• Blood drawing was the most frequent procedure (avg. 60.8/month).
• 61% of students reported injuries during procedures.
• Only 35.5% of students used gloves.
• Needle re-sheathing caused 69% of injuries, significantly more than vein entry or needle withdrawal (p<0.05).

Conclusions:

• Medical students experience high rates of sharps injuries during clinical postings.
• Inadequate use of gloves and unsafe practices like needle re-sheathing contribute to these injuries.
• Enhanced training on safety protocols and personal protective equipment is essential to improve student and patient safety.