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Needle Stick Injury: A common Occupational Hazard
Needle
stick injuries are wounds caused by needles that
accidentally puncture the skin. Needlestick injuries are a
hazard for people who work with hypodermic syringes and
other needle equipment. These injuries can occur at any
time when people use, disassemble, or dispose of needles.
When not disposed of properly, needles can become
concealed in linen or garbage and injure other workers who
encounter them unexpectedly. The reasons and the
circumstances leading to NSI (needle stick injury) amongst
nursing staff is the lack of awareness of the potential
risk of injury and infection to the user, patient and
public at large.
Common
causes of needlestick injuries
The main
reason for NSI ( 80% ) :
Improper handling of sharps by not following the standard
operating procedures during their use.
Factors that influence the needle stick injuries are :
-
Urgency
of work
-
Inconvenient/Insufficient work space
-
Recapping
of used needles
-
Improperly disposed sharps
-
Carelessness
-
Stuck by
someone/ Push pull
-
Sharps
placed in an inappropriate place.(bed, table, etc.)
-
Patient
movement during a procedure
-
Putting
the used sharps into the sharp containers
Who Is
At Risk Of Injury?
Nurses
sustain the highest number of percutaneous injuries
Other patient care providers like physicians, technicians,
laboratory staff, and support personnel (like housekeeping
staff)
How
common are needle stick injuries?
Needle pricks : 62% ; Cuts : 36%.
The devices
associated with 80% of the injuries are :
Syringe
needles : 30% ; Blades : 19% ; Ampoules : 18% and IV
Cannulas : 12%
The body
parts most affected are :
Fingers 76%
; Hands : 13%
Where do
the injuries occur ?
Wards : 65 % ; Operations Theatres : 35%
Around 65%
of the injuries occurred in wards (41%), followed by
operations theatres (13%) and ICUs (12%)
When?
The maximum injuries occurred in the morning shift (53%)
and a minimum in the night shift (21%)
Hazards
of Needle Stick Injury
-
Accidental punctures by contaminated needles can inject
hazardous fluids into the body through the skin.
-
The
potential risk of transmission of blood borne
infections, mainly :
HIV is 0.03%; HBV is 0.3%.
-
Other
diseases transmitted:
Involving
viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms to
health care workers, laboratory researchers, and
veterinarian staff.
(Reference :- Abstracted from study report , by Dr.
Anand R T, Senior Resident, Department of Hospital
Administration, AIIMS New Delhi & Dr. Siddarth Satpathy ,
Additional Professor, Department of Hospital
Administration , AIIMS New Delhi)
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