Prevention of Needle Stick Injuries

Abstract

Needle sticks are a common occurrence in the health care profession. Of these, many, if not most, go unreported. In response to the risk of exposure, institutions have focused in primary prevention as a means of reducing the incidence of needle sticks and thereby decreasing the number of incidence of needle sticks and thereby decreasing the number of blood borne pathogen transmissions. Needle stick injuries still occur, however, and it is important that individuals in the health care field become well informed about the exposure risks and educated regarding the appropriate response. The role of the employers of health care workers in preventing needle stick injuries are implementing the use of engineering controls, avoid the use of needles when there are other safer alternatives, implementing use of devices with safety alternatives, implementing the use of devices with safety features, setting priorities and strategies for needle stick injury prevention by examining local and national information about risk factors, ensuring proper training of employees on the safe use and disposal of needles, modifying work practices that have an increased risk of a needle stick injury, promoting safety awareness in the work environment, establishing procedures for and encouraging the reporting of all needle stick and other sharps related injuries, evaluating the effectiveness of prevention efforts and providing feedback on performance. The role of the employees in preventing needle stick injuries are avoiding recapping needles, before beginning any procedure using needles, planning for safe handling and proper disposal, helping the employer select and evaluate devices with safety features, using devices with safety features, reporting needle stick and other sharp related injuries, disposing of used needles in appropriate sharps disposal containers, informing the employer of hazards from needles that are observed at work and participating in blood borne pathogen training and following recommended infection prevention practices, including hepatitis B vaccination.