Assessment Of Injection Safety Practices In Health Facilities In Bongo And Talensi Districts In The Upper East Region Of Ghana Part 1-Injection Safety Practices

Abstract Injections are one of the most common health care procedures and each year about 20 billion injections are administered world-wide WHO 2010. Most injections about 90 to 95 are given for therapeutic purposes and only 5 to 10 are given for immunization. In this study a cross-sectional design was adopted in the two districts - Bongo and Talensi. Personnel giving injections in the prevention and curative sections as well as the heads of the facilities were observed and interviewed. The waste disposal systems and disposal sites of the facilities were also assessed. A total of thirty-one 31 staff were observed and interviewed in 8 health facilities. Twenty-one 21 were observed and interviewed in Bongo and ten 10 in Talensi districts. Twenty-two 78.6 prepared injections on clean table and tray. Fourteen 50 respondents reused mixing syringes for reconstitution and 417.9. Eight 17.9 had shortage of cotton wool. Community Health Nurses who experienced shortage of cotton wool used syringe wrappers in place of cotton wool after injection. Two hand recapping was observed in 3 10.7 respondents. Two 25 of facilities had sharps scattered at the disposal site. Two facilities that have incinerators were not using them at the time of the visit. The challenges to injection practice were the use of improvised items reuse of syringes for reconstitution shortage of logistics and supplies unattended open and unrestricted disposal sites leading to sharps scattered around disposal site and non-use of incinerators. It has been recommended that the Regional EPI coordinator must conduct quarterly assessments on availability of EPI logistics and supplies in the districts and facilities.