Avoiding needlestick injuries

According to the American Nurses Association, health care workers (HCWs) suffer between 600,000 and one million injuries from conventional needles and sharps annually. These exposures can lead to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS.

At least 1,000 HCWs are estimated to contract serious infections annually from needlestick and sharps injuries, with nurses sustaining the overwhelming majority of these exposures.

Over 80 percent of needlestick injuries are preventable with the use of safer needle devices, but less than 15 percent of U.S. hospitals use them. The safer needles cost .28 cents more per needle, but the expense is minimal compared with the approximate $1 million for a needlestick that results in a serious infection.

The CDC reports that many of these injuries can be prevented by using safer devices, such as needleless IV systems and blunted, retracted or shielded needles. Healthcare employees should use:

* a safe needle device or needleless system for withdrawal of body fluids
* use needleless systems or needles with engineered sharps protection for other procedures requiring needle devices
* use non-needle sharps that include engineered sharps protection such as certain surgical equipment
* use safe handling techniques