Risk factors of the needstick injury and its impact on anxiety of medical staff

Objective To study the risk factors of the needlestick injury and its impact on anxiety state of the medical staff. Methods From 2008 to 2012, we collected the data of sharp instrument wound of medical staff and surveyed the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), to analyze the risk factors of needlestick injury and its impact on anxiety. Results The cumulative exposure rate of needlestick injury of the nurses (43/120, 35.8%) was higher than the doctors’ (7/55, 12.7%). The difference was statistically significant (χ2=9.87, P<0.01). The SAS score of doctors was (49.7±11.3), which was significantly higher than (45.2±9.3) of the nurses (t=12.39, P<0.05). Polluted scalp needle was the most frequent source of needlestick injury. The risk link of needlestick injury was in and after the operation. Conclusions The high risk of sharp injuries can cause the psychological anxiety of medical staff. For medical staff, targeted psychological counseling is a useful measure for occupational protection. Key words: Anxiety; Sharp injury; Risk factors; Occupational protection