Abstract
Needlestick injury is important to prevent, but in case of occurrence, correct procedures should be followed to prevent health care workers from infection of blood transmitted virus. Anonymous questionnaires were distributed to 285 medical institutions located in X prefecture in September 2010. The survey asked about the precautions against needlestick injury and post-injury prophylaxis. The purpose of the survey was to analyze and to improve the present situation of needlestick injury prevention in the prefecture. One hundred and fifty-nine (55.8%) medical institutions filled out the questionnaire. Analysis of the responses identified many problems. Vaccination rates for hepatitis B (44.0%), use of a portable sharp container or placing a sharp object container in each hospital room (35.2%), and use of gloves during injection or collecting blood (47.8%) were not correctly performed. These issues were solved in each institution. For example, post-injury prophylaxis medicines for HIV were stored in 24.5% of the institutions. Therefore, prompt blood tests, and post-injury prophylaxis could not be provided in all medical institutions. The findings suggest that a system in which medical institutions provide mutual support is necessary to prevent infection by blood transmitted virus.
