Abstract
Purpose: To assess the incidence, management, & outcomes for needle stick injuries (NSIs) in a tertiary eye‑care hospital & provide appropriate recommendations for its prevention. Methods: It is a retrospective database review of NSI recorded between 2015 December & 2023 April in north India. All staff members who had NSI were managed with standard treatment protocol. The mode, location, health‑care workers affected and/or at risk for NSI were analyzed. Results: 224 NSI were reported over a period of 7.5 years. Fellows combined with postgraduates, suffered maximum NSIs (n = 105; 46.87%), followed by the nursing staff (n = 62; 27.67%), and consultants (n = 42; 18.75%). Maximum pricks (n = 59; 26.33%) occurred while passing the sharp instruments and operating (n = 47; 20.98%). Conclusions: A proper needle/sharp disposal mechanism, documentation of adverse event, on‑going staff training, and prompt prophylactic treatment are essential components of the protocol for NSI management.
