Prevalence and determinants of medical sharp injuries among health care workers at Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital, Wakiso District.  A cross-sectional Study.

Simon Wabomba Nabuyaka; Hasifa Nansereko; Immaculate Naggulu; Jane Frank  Nalubega

doi:10.51168/sjhrafrica.v7i2.2276

Authors

Simon Nabuyaka Wabomba Mildmay Uganda School of Nursing and Midwifery.
Hasifa Nansereko Mildmay Uganda School of Nursing and Midwifery.
Immaculate Naggulu Mildmay Uganda School of Nursing and Midwifery.
Jane Frank Nalubega Mildmay Uganda School of Nursing and Midwifery.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51168/sjhrafrica.v7i2.2276

Keywords:

Medical sharp injuries, Health care workers, Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital, Kajjansi Health Center IV Wakiso District, Uganda

Abstract

Background:

Globally, sharps injuries continue to affect healthcare workers despite improvements in infection prevention practices. Studies report varying prevalence rates, influenced by individual behaviors, training levels, and hospital safety systems. This study was to assess the prevalence and determinants of medical sharps injury among the health workers at Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital.

Methodology:

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 140 healthcare workers at Entebbe RR hospital using a structured questionnaire and a convenience sampling method.

Results:

The study revealed that 63% of respondents had ever had a medical sharps injury. In the past 12 months, 74.3% of those injured had sustained at least one injury, with needle stick injuries being most common (55.7%), and 81.8% reported their most recent injury. 54.3% believed sharps injuries are preventable, 63.6% regularly used PPE, and 80% had received training in injection safety or infection prevention. Also, 70.7% reported adequate PPE availability, 97.1% had sharps containers at workstations, 54.3% indicated containers were sometimes emptied on time, 95% reported accessible safety guidelines, and 77% had attended in-service training.

Conclusion:

Despite the availability of PPE, sharps containers, and infection prevention guidelines, sharps injuries remain common among healthcare workers. Individual behaviors such as inconsistent PPE use, occasional recapping, and underestimation of risk, combined with occasional delays in emptying sharps containers, continue to contribute to injuries.

Recommendations:

The Ministry of Health should strengthen national surveillance and increase access to safety-engineered devices. Also, Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital should ensure timely emptying of sharps containers, reinforce no-recapping policies, and intensify in-service training.

Author Biographies

Simon Nabuyaka Wabomba, Mildmay Uganda School of Nursing and Midwifery.

is a student at Mildmay Uganda School of Nursing and Midwifery.

Hasifa Nansereko, Mildmay Uganda School of Nursing and Midwifery.

is a research supervisor at Mildmay Uganda School of Nursing and Midwifery.

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