Needle Stick Injury and Hepatitis B Virus Vaccination Status of Medical Staff in Tertiary Care Hospitals of Islamabad and Rawalpindi

Abstract

Objective: To ascertain the vaccination coverage against Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and to identify the most vulnerable group for needle stick injury and HBV infection among healthcare workers of tertiary care hospitals of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Study type, settings & duration: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Tertiary care hospitals of Islamabad and Rawalpindi from December 2023 to March 2024.

Methodology: Study participants were healthcare workers such as doctors, paramedics and janitorial staff. Participants were selected through simple random sampling technique. A sample size of 300 healthcare workers was statistically calculated. After taking informed consent a predesigned questionnaire was used to collect the demography, HBV vaccination status and needle stick injury from healthcare workers. Data was entered and analyzed through SPSS-26.

Results: Current study shows that only 24% participants received vaccination, among them 69.3% were doctors and 30.7% were paramedics. Janitorial staff had no vaccination at all. Single or multiple times, needle stick injuries were seen in around 85% of study population which were mostly paramedics’ staff.

Conclusion: Current study shows that vaccination coverage is low in healthcare workers, working in tertiary care hospitals of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. A high proportion of healthcare workers suffer from single of multiple times, needle stick injuries.