Abstract
Background
Nurses usually provide direct patient care. However, they account for the majority of healthcare workers (HCWs) injured by needles or other sharp objects.
Objectives
To assess the prevalence of needle stick injuries (NSI) among nurses worldwide; according to WHO regions, the socioeconomic development index (SDI) of countries, and the developmental status of individual countries, and in the Middle East.
Design
Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Methods
We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. We calculated the pooled NSI prevalence estimates using a random-effect meta-analysis with the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. The report of the study was in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 statement.
Results
The overall worldwide NSI prevalence pooled from our analysis was 40.97% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 31.29–50.63%, p = .00001). A subgroup analysis of NSI prevalence according to WHO regions revealed the highest prevalence in Southeast Asia (49.9%, 95% CI: [23.4–76.3%]) and the lowest in the United States of America (25.1%, 95% CI: [18.1–32.1%]), respectively. The pooled prevalence in developed and developing countries was 30.5% (95% CI: 27.3–33.8%) and 46.6% (95% CI: 33.7–59.5%), respectively. According to the SDI, NSI prevalence was highest in low-middle SDI countries (48.9% [95% CI: 30.7–67.2%]).
Conclusion
Our results showed a high NSI prevalence among nurses worldwide. Developing countries had a significantly higher NSI prevalence than developed countries, especially low-middle SDI countries.