FAQs
The following FAQ about health and safety issues surrounding
needlestick injuries have been sourced from the Occupational
Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) U.S. Department
of Labor website
What is the epidemiology of needlestick injuries?
Five primary activities are associated with the majority of needlestick injuries. They are:
- Disposing of needles, including collection and disposal of materials used during patient care procedures
- Administering injections
- Drawing blood
- Recapping needles (not allowed under the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard)
- Handling trash and dirty linens (termed "downstream injuries", these usually affect the by the housekeeping department (Chiarello, 1992).
How serious is the occupational risk of needlestick?
One of the most critical control components of healthcare worker protection against bloodborne pathogens must be the reduction of sharps-related incidents. The statistics cited below provide a picture of the seriousness of the problem.
- Hospital-based healthcare workers experience some 800,000 needlestick injuries each year in the United States. About 2% or approximately 16,000 of these are likely to be contaminated by HIV . Needlestick injuries account for up to 80% of all accidental exposures to blood.
What occupational risk does Hepatitis B pose to the health care worker?
For more than 50 years, HBV infection, a well-documented and recognized occupational hazard, has been and continues to be one of the most common bloodborne pathogens among healthcare workers. Studies conducted prior to implementation of recommendations to prevent bloodborne pathogen transmission (1976-1985) show that healthcare workers had a prevalence of HBV infection three to five times higher than the general U.S. population.
What occupational risk does Hepatitis C pose to the health care worker?
Hepatitis C virus infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease in the United States and worldwide. The virus, because of its similarity to HBV, presents an occupational risk to persons whose work activities involve handling human blood and body fluids.
- Needlestick injuries are the most common cause of occupational HCV exposure.
- In 1995, an estimated 560 to 1,120 cases of HCV infection occurred among healthcare workers who were occupationally exposed to blood
What occupational risk does HIV pose for the health care worker?
infected blood through needlesticks or cuts; splashes in the eyes, nose, or mouth; and skin contact.
- Exposures from needlesticks or cuts cause most infections. The average risk of HIV infection after a needlestick exposure to HIV-infected blood is 0.3% or 1 in 300.
- The risk after exposure of the eye, nose, or mouth to HIV-infected blood is estimated to be, on the average, 0.1% or 1 in 1,000.
- The risk after exposure of the skin to HIV-infected blood is estimated to be less then 0.1%. The risk may be higher if the skin is broken or if the contact involves a large area of skin or is prolonged.
What is a safer needle device?
All needlestick injuries are not preventable, but research has shown that almost 83% of injuries from hollowbore needles can be prevented . Many of these needlesticks can be prevented by using devices that have needles with safety features or eliminate the use of needles altogether (e.g., needleless IV connectors, self re-sheathing needles, and blunted surgical needles).
What are the design features of a safer needle devices?
The types of safety features used in safer needle devices can be categorized according to certain aspects of the safety feature, i.e., whether the feature is active or passive and whether the engineering control is part of the device .Passive safety features remain in effect before, during and after use; healthcare workers do not have to activate them. Passive features enhance the safety design and are more likely to have a greater impact on prevention.
- Active devices require the healthcare worker to activate the safety mechanism. Failure to do so leaves the worker unprotected. Proper use by healthcare workers is the primary factor in the effectiveness of these devices.
- An integrated safety design means that the safety feature is built in as an integral part of the device and cannot be removed. This design feature is preferred.
- An accessory safety device is a safety feature that is external to the device and must be carried to or temporarily or permanently fixed to the point of use. This design also is dependent on employee compliance and according to some researchers, is not desirable.
What conclusions can be drawn from this information?
Safer needle devices can protect employees from occupational exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials. Safer needle devices can protect healthcare workers from exposure to life-threatening diseases by preventing needlestick injuries.
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