Needlestick injuries are common in healthcare settings and can lead to infections such as hepatitis and HIV. Proper disposal of needles and use of safety needles can help prevent injuries. In the event of an injury, a protocol is followed to screen for blood-borne diseases and offer prophylaxis. Understaffing can increase the risk of errors.
A needlestick injury is an occupational injury in which a healthcare worker sustains an accidental puncture wound from a needle. Doctors, nurses and technicians aren’t the only people at risk of needlestick injuries. Janitors, lab personnel, and waste handlers can also be at risk from needles that are not properly prepared for disposal. Patients may also be at risk.
Classically, a needlestick injury occurs when a healthcare provider removes a needle from a patient. Either the patient moves or the needle bounces and the needle ends up hitting the doctor. People can also sustain needlestick injuries while attempting to recap needles, a practice that is no longer recommended in many clinical settings, and while withdrawing needles from vacuum-packed vials filled with drugs and other substances.
Needle-stick injuries are a form of sharps injury. Like injuries with other sharp objects such as scalpels, they put doctors at risk for infection. If a patient has a disease such as hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, malaria, herpes, tuberculosis, or syphilis, among many others, the healthcare provider can contract the disease from the blood on the needle. Direct blood-to-blood contact as seen with a needlestick injury is an ideal mode of transmission for many microorganisms.
When a needlestick injury occurs, there is a protocol to follow. Different facilities have different standards but, as a general rule, the patient is asked to consent to screening for blood borne diseases, the doctor is screened, and prophylaxis may be offered to prevent infection. The facility usually pays for prophylaxis, screening and treatment, and when the needlestick injury victim is a patient, special care is taken to reduce the risks of a lawsuit.
Needlestick injuries are very common in workplaces where needles are present. There are a few steps that can be taken to avoid them, including disposing of needles in sharps containers promptly and using safety needles. Safety needles have a shield that can be pulled down with the same hand holding the needle to cover the needle and prevent injury. Concentration when handling the needles is also very important, as many injuries occur when doctors let their minds wander. One problem that has been identified is understaffing in clinical settings. People working in understaffed environments often work under pressure and in a hurry and this can increase the risk of errors.
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