Home medical sharps disposal practices and associated factors among insulin-treated outpatients with diabetes at bach mai hospital
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Abstract
This study aimed to determine the proportion of correct home-based sharps disposal practices and to describe selected factors associated with these practices among patients with diabetes using insulin. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 130 outpatients with diabetes treated with insulin at Bach Mai Hospital. The questionnaire was developed in accordance the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommendations for home sharps disposal. The results showed that only 11.5% of participants disposed of medical sharps according to recommended safety practices. Correct sharps disposal practices were significantly associated with several factors: patients with a history of sharps-related injury were 4.25 times more likely to practice correct disposal compared with those without such a history, and patients who had received education on sharps disposal were 61.7 times more likely to practice correct disposal than uneducated patients.
Article Details
Keywords
Diabetes, insulin, sharps, medical waste, safety, health education
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