Awareness and Knowledge of Needlestick Injuries Among Healthcare Providers in King Saud Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Background: Needlestick injuries (NSIs) represent a major safety concern in clinical practice, posing a significant threat to the health and well-being of healthcare personnel.They may occur during routine clinical procedures and expose healthcare workers to blood-borne infections.Adequate awareness and knowledge of NSI prevention and appropriate post-exposure measures are essential to reduce the risk of injury and improve workplace safety.Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the awareness and knowledge of NSIs among healthcare providers at King Saud Medical City (KSMC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and examine their association with selected sociodemographic and occupational factors.Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at KSMC among healthcare providers aged 18 years and above.A consecutive sampling technique was used to recruit approximately 300 participants who were directly involved in patient care.Data were collected using a structured questionnaire to assess awareness and knowledge regarding NSIs.Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 16 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, United States).Results: A total of 300 healthcare workers participated in this study.Among them, 153 (51%) were female, and 147 (49%) were male.Most participants were aged 26-35 years (n=209; 69.6%).Regarding NSI status, 185 (61.7%) reported experiencing an injury, while 86 (28.7%) reported no injury.Blood extraction (n=112, 52.3%) was the most common cause of injury, followed by suturing or surgical procedures (n=67, 31.3%).Nurses showed the highest prevalence of injuries (n=104, 94.5%), followed by laboratory workers (n=13, 86.7%).A statistically significant association was found between years of experience and NSI status (p = 0.01).Conclusion: Our study confirms that NSIs remain a common occupational risk among healthcare workers, particularly nurses, and are mainly related to routine clinical procedures.The continued occurrence of injuries indicates the need for improved safety practices and strict adherence to infection-control protocols.