Circumstances Surrounding the Community Needle-Stick Injuries in Georgia

Abstract

Community needle-stick injuries are important public health problem due to concern of blood-borne pathogen transmission. Purpose of this study was to describe circumstances related to non-occupational needle-stick injuries in Georgia. Data were collected from one outpatient clinic in Tbilisi. Medical records from 2002 to 2007 were reviewed. Blood tests were performed on HBV, HCV and HIV at first visit and 6 months after exposure. 25 (54.4%) study subjects were children playing in street/yard and being accidentally stuck by used needle. Most frequent circumstances related to needle stick among adult individuals were recapping or discarding used needle while taking care of family member needed home injections (12 cases). Eight participants (17.4%) reported accidentally stepping on used needle at sea shore. No infection with HIV and HCV were documented. Only one case of HBV infection occurred in female patient taking care of mother with chronic HBV infection. Study suggests that seroconversion for blood-borne infections after community needle-stick injuries is very low. Family members of patients receiving home injections should be informed about potential risks and advised using infection-control measures. Parents/teachers should be educated about the circumstances related to exposure to used needles among children.

Solid medical waste: a cross sectional study of household disposal practices and reported harm in Southern Ghana

“…In most of the infected cases, delayed or absent immunoprophylaxis appears to have enhanced vulnerability. There are three reported cases of Hepatitis B infection from Spain [16]; Tbilisi, Georgia [17]; and Australia [18]. …”

Danger in the streets: exposures to bloodborne pathogens after community sharp injuries in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

“…This is concordant with published data on community needlestick injuries. 10 , 12 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 Although the explanation for this gender difference is not clear it is possible to suggest that men are present in greater numbers in the military and in professional activities that require handling of waste.…”

“… 21 , 26 Although Brazil has a population of more than 100,000 IDUs, drug use is not associated with specific places, as described in North America and Europe. 21 , 24 , 27 …”

Non-Vertical Exposures to HIV, HBV and HCV Infection in Children and Adolescents—Risk of Infection, Standards of Care and Postexposure Prophylaxis

“…The virus vitality is influenced by virus concentration, the volume of blood, temperature variation, exposure to sunlight, and humidity [3,4]. Studies confirm that the risk of seroconversion to HIV, HBV, or HCV from a community-acquired needlestick injury is low [5][6][7][8][9]. The disparity between virus survival tested in laboratory conditions and transmission rate highlights the difficulty in extrapolating in vitro experiments to real-life scenarios.…”