Incidence, Temporal Trends, and Departmental Distribution of Reported Needle-Stick Injuries Among Healthcare Workers at Hera General Hospital, Saudi Arabia (2022–2024): A Retrospective Clinical Review

Background Needle-stick injuries (NSIs) pose a critical occupational risk for healthcare workers, with profound implications for health, safety, and patient care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence, temporal trends, and departmental distribution of reported needle-stick injuries among healthcare workers at Hera General Hospital from 2022 to 2024. The primary objective was to determine overall and annual injury rates, while secondary objectives included assessing variations by year, department, cause, and month, and identifying potential reporting gaps relevant to occupational safety. Methods This retrospective observational study analyzed data from 160,092 healthcare worker records. Data were collected from occupational medical health clinic notes and supplemented with clarification on phone calls when required. The rates of NSIs were calculated per 1,000 records. Data were analyzed using SPSS v29.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, USA). Numerical variables were expressed as mean ± SD, and categorical variables as frequencies and percentages. Normality was assessed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Associations were evaluated with the Kruskal-Wallis test, with p < 0.05 considered significant. Results Among 160,092 records, 114 NSIs were reported with an overall rate of 0.709 per 1,000 records. Annual rates were 0.675 in 2022, 0.638 in 2023, and 0.815 in 2024, showing no significant difference (p = 0.593). Most injuries were accidental (97 cases, 85.1%), with the operating room (26 cases, 22.8%) and emergency department (25 cases, 21.9%) recording the highest prevalence. Temporal peaks were observed in February 2024 (N = 16; 1.916) and October across all years (N = 44; 1.122). Departments like pediatric intensive care (0 cases) and central sterile services (1 case) reported minimal to no cases. Analysis revealed no significant differences in monthly rates across the years (p = 0.349). Conclusion Needle-stick injuries s are predominantly accidental, with notable temporal and departmental variation. Focused training, strict adherence to safety protocols, and enhanced reporting systems are essential to reducing NSIs and improving healthcare worker safety at Hera General Hospital. Focused training, strict adherence to safety protocols, and enhanced reporting systems are essential to reducing NSIs and improving healthcare worker safety at Hera General Hospital.