Factors associated with the reporting of incidents of needlestick injuries and body fluids exposure among clinical year medical students A cross sectional analytical study performed at Siriraj Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Several studies and observational reports have highlighted the widespread underreporting of healthcare-associated injuries among healthcare personnel, especially medical students. Such underreporting can mask substandard medical practice and can lead to adverse complications if the injuries are not treated. The present study aimed to explore the reasons for the reporting and the factors associated with the non-reporting of needlestick injuries (NSIs) or exposure to a patient’s body substances among medical students in clinical practice.

Method: Convenience-based sampling was used to collect data from medical student groups for a clinical research study. Questionnaires were distributed to 554 medical students studying at the clinical level in the Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital. The student responses were statistically analyzed via the frequency and percentages of the answers, as well as by chi-square test and Fisher's exact test.

Results: Overall, 401 (72.38%) medical students completed and returned the questionnaire, comprising 192 (47.9%) male and 209 (52.1%) female students. Among these, 135 medical students in the 6th year of study stated they had experienced NSI (53%) or exposure to patients’ body substances (47%), although only 61% had reported such incidents. The most significant factor associated with the reporting of incidents was anxiousness about being infected (56.6%, p=0.02); while the injury type was the factor most associated with the non-reporting of incidents, especially when the injury was not considered serious and the risk of contagion was considered low (63.5%).

Conclusion: The most important factor associated with the reporting or non-reporting of incidents was medical students’ concern about being infected from an incident. This reasoning though is inappropriate for monitoring medical practice. Safety guidelines for the management of injuries during medical practice need to be implemented and clarified for all medical students to ensure they are adhered to and that incidents are properly reported and managed. Further study should be carried out after implementing the guidelines for monitoring their effectiveness.