Manejo de cortopunzantes por los profesionales de enfermería de un hospital de la ciudad de Guayaquil.

Abstract

Sharps are objects intended for cutting or puncturing, which are mainly used in medical procedures. These materials, if not handled correctly, can cause accidents, as they are contaminated by fluids or secretions, and can transmit different pathologies. Objectives: To determine the handling of sharps by nursing professionals in a hospital in the city of Guayaquil. Methodology: descriptive, quantitative and prospective study. Population: 133 nursing professionals. An ad hoc questionnaire with 14 items was used. Results: From the data obtained in the study, we can analyze that there is a predominance of the female sex, most of the participants are undergraduate students. In addition, 35% of the participants report having a double work dependency, working in high-risk areas. It is worth noting that most of the respondents have less than 1 year of work experience. 49.6% of the participants testify that they had an accident with sharps at some point in their career. The accident occurred was with hollow needles being 49%. Conclusions: The importance of regular staff training on management is observed, when applying these measures, to provide safety for the patient and for the health personnel, in addition we will be able to decrease the costs associated with percutaneous wound treatments, as well as the time lost due to these injuries.