There has always been a concern that healthcare workers are at a very high risk of developing disease following a needlestick, but the data do not support this belief. Even if the skin is punctured or there is a spill in the mucous membranes, the majority of individuals do not acquire any organisms. Another method of avoiding needlestick injuries is double gloving.įactors that increase the risk of exposure to body fluids :Ĭause and Consequence of Disease from Needlestick Injuriesĭespite the high number of needle sticks that occur in healthcare settings, the majority of healthcare workers do not develop any infection. For example, in the operating room, there are now established protocols on how the nurse will pass sharp instruments and needles to the surgeon and vice versa. To prevent these injuries, many healthcare institutions have now adopted unique ways of resheathing needles. Further, this is more of a concern when healthcare workers ignore policies and discard needles directly into the plastic bags instead of the sharps containers. Over the years, many cases of cleaners and porters being injured by unsheathed needles have been reported. Even though this practice is now no longer recommended, there are experts in infectious disease who indicate that not resheathing the needle greatly increases the risk of needlestick injuries in house cleaners and porters who are in charge of collecting and disposing of the sharps containers. In the past, the majority of needlestick injuries occurred during resheathing of the needle after the withdrawal of blood from a patient. Today the major threat after a needlestick injury is not HIV but acquiring hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Since the adoption of universal precautions, the number of needlestick injuries has greatly decreased but continues to occur, but the numbers are low. Needlestick injuries came to the forefront of healthcare after the discovery of the HV in the early 1980s. The reality is that most needlestick injuries are preventable by following established procedures. In most cases, needlestick injuries occur chiefly because of unsafe practices and gross negligence on the part of the healthcare workers. healthcare professionals like surgeons and emergency room personnel. The use of needles is unavoidable in healthcare, and even though every hospital has guidelines on proper handling and disposal of needles and the newest design of safety conscious needles, needlestick injuries continue to occur more often in et al. Healthcare professionals at the highest risk for needlestick injuries are surgeons, emergency room workers, laboratory room professionals, and nurses. Even though universal guidelines have decreased the risks of needlestick injuries over the past 30 years, these injuries continue to occur, albeit at a much lower rate. Needlestick injuries are an occupational hazard for millions of healthcare workers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a model which helps healthcare professionals know when to start antiretroviral therapy. Guidelines have been established to help healthcare institutions manage needlestick injuries and when to initiate post-exposure HIV prophylaxis. However, today the major concern after a needlestick injury is not HIV but hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Awareness of needlestick injuries started to develop soon after the identification of HIV in the early 1980s. While the introduction of universal precautions and safety conscious needle designs has led to a decline in needlestick injuries, they continue to be reported, albeit on a much smaller scale than in the past. In North America, millions of healthcare workers use needles in their daily work, and hence, the risk of needlestick injuries is always a concern. Needlestick injuries are known to occur frequently in healthcare settings and can be serious.
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