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Abstract

Objectives: Cutting injuries and needle-stick injuries constitute a potentially fatal danger to pathologists. We evaluated such injuries in four french university anatomic pathology laboratories and analyzed the effect of the using of cut-resistant gloves to prevent these injuries. Methods:For this study, we designed a 12-item online survey to assess the location of the laboratory, the number of years of practice, detailed questions about the use of cut-resistant glove including: Weather the pathologist started using them before or after his residency, frequency of wearing it, on which hand he or she wear it, History of hand-cut injuries with detailed information about the affected hand and the moment of the accident, Declaration of the accident and weather blood tests for infectious diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) were done.Results: 17 of the 42 pathologists who participated in our study were sustained a hand injury. Most injuries were located at the non-dominant hand. Only 3 of 17 pathologists were wearing a cut-resistant glove when the injury happened, and those injuries turned to be a needle-stick injury caused by the tip of the blade or by a pin. Conclusion:Cut-resistant protective gloves are an effective and cost-effective completion of personal occupational safety measures in surgical pathology. We strongly recommend the use of such gloves, especially when handling a fresh surgical specimen.