Publication:

Developing safe porter protective syringe cap to prevent percutaneous injuries; a semi-experimental study

Background Although healthcare professionals know how to avoid needle sticks, current safe syringes are not capable of preventing percutaneous injuries 100%. Therefore, infections caused by needle sticks could not be completely prevented.

Methods First of all, a Likert type questionnaire were applied as a qualitative method in the study. Based on these survey data, 4 different types of safety syringe caps were developed and tested in a quasi-experimental method.

Results The research was carried out with 344 health vocational school students. As a result of the research, the average level of knowledge of the students about percutaneous injuries was in female students (n=223, 64.8%) compared to male students (n=121, 35.2%) (females, mean: 78.8±10, males, mean: 76.5±10) (p=0.256) in the second grades compared to the first graders. It was found to be higher (1st class: 77.3, 2nd class: 81.0) (p=0.049). The mean level of knowledge showed a significant difference according to educational level (p=0.049), but did not show a significant difference according to programs (p=0.371) and gender (p=0.256). Among the safe injector caps of different diameters developed against percutaneous injuries, the largest diameter injector cap was defined as the most successful, safe syringe cap that prevents percutaneous injuries (p<0.001).

Conclusions It was observed that education or experience was not significantly effective in preventing percutaneous injuries caused by needle sticks, and that percutaneous injuries and thus infections could be prevented by increasing syringe cap diameters.