Needle Stick Injury Healthcare Workers

Medical workers are at risk for getting injured by needles and other devices used to puncture or lacerate the skin sharps.

Needle stick injury healthcare workers.

Sharps injuries can expose health care workers to harmful bloodborne pathogens. Most needlestick injuries result from unsafe needle devices rather than carelessness by healthcare workers jshq 1998 summer safer needle devices have built in safety control devices such as those that use a self sheathing needle to help prevent injuries before during and after use through safer design features. According to the cdc some 385 000 health care workers accidentally stick themselves with needles every year. These injuries can occur at any time when people use disassemble or dispose of needles.

Needlesticks are a common occurrence in the health care profession. Sharps injuries are a significant injury and health hazard for health care workers and also result in a number of direct and indirect organizational costs. Of these many if not most go unreported 2. Centers for disease control and prevention estimate that nationwide between 600 000 and 800 000 injuries from contaminated sharps occur in health care settings each year.

Both massachusetts and federal law require massachusetts hospitals to. If you experienced a needlestick or sharps injury or were exposed to the blood or other body fluid of a patient during the course of your work immediately follow these steps. The centers for disease control and prevention cdc estimates that about 385 000 sharps related injuries occur annually among health care workers in hospitals. It further notes that 37 6 of hepatitis b 39 of hepatitis c and 4 4 of hiv aids in health care workers around the world are due to needlestick injuries.

Flush splashes to the nose mouth or skin with water. Needlestick injuries are a hazard for people who work with hypodermic syringes and other needle equipment. Needlestick injuries represent a significant yet underrecognized occupational hazard for health care workers. It is estimated that 600 000 to 800 000 needlestick injuries occur per year in the united states 1.

When not disposed of properly needles can hide in linen or garbage and injure other workers who encounter them unexpectedly. More recent data from the exposure prevention information network epinet. Who reports in the world health report 2002 that of the 35 million health care workers 2 million experience percutaneous exposure to infectious diseases each year. Your chances of catching a disease from a single needle stick are usually very low.