Needlestick and sharps injuries in an Indonesian tertiary teaching hospital from 2014 to 2017: a cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Needlestick and sharps injuries among healthcare workers (HCWs) pose significant occupational health problems. We aim to provide incidence and other epidemiological aspects of needlestick and sharp injuries (NSSIs) among HCWs in a tertiary teaching hospital in Indonesia, to inform the evaluation of NSSIs prevention programme. METHODS: A cohort study was conducted at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in Jakarta. We analysed data of the sharps injury programme at the hospital between January 2014 and December 2017. Incidence of NSSIs was calculated per 1000 person-years (1000-PY). RESULTS: Over the 4-year period, a total of 286 NSSIs were reported. The mean NSSIs incidence rate for 4 years was 13.3/1000-PY, peaking in 2015 (15.5/1000-PY) then decreasing afterward. Most NSSIs were experienced by nurses (42.7%), but the highest incidence was among midwives (18.9/1000-PY), followed by nurses, medical students and medical doctors (15.2/1000-PY, 12.6/1000-PY and 11.8/1000-PY, respectively). The devices causing the highest proportion of NSSIs were hollow-bore needles (66.8%), followed by suture needles (14.3%) and solid needles (10.8%). 9.4% of NSSIs were related to insulin pen injection. Of all the incidents, 31.3% occurred during surgical procedures, 25.9% during blood collections, 14.3% during administering injection of drugs and 13.3% during waste cleaning. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this study showed varied incidences of NSSI among different occupations, with the highest among midwives and nurses. Many unsafe work practices still continue, which is of utmost concern. We suggest opportunities for prevention including training and cultivating safer workplace practices.

Plasmodium ovale Infection After One Year Mefloquine Prophylaxis in A Young Indonesian Soldier: A Case Report.

Malaria chemoprevention using mefloquine has become the WHO standard regimen for military personnel who stay in the endemic area for an extended period of time. We reported a case of Plasmodium ovale infection in a young Indonesian Soldier following one year mefloquine prophylaxis 250 mg weekly. Typical fever and chills were experienced two weeks after returning from one year duty in Congo, West-Central Africa. The diagnosis of ovale malaria was made by peripheral blood smear, and 35/250 parasites in small microscopic view was found. Then, he recovered after dihydroartemisin and primaquine combination therapy. This was an unusual case of long-term prophylaxis failure since mefloquine has been recognized as the agent for malaria prevention, even multi-drug-resistance Plasmodium. Dormant stage of Plasmodium ovale, quinoline-resistance potential, and the efficacy of mefloquine itself are discussed as the cause of that phenomenon.