Although exposure to blood-borne pathogens can occur in a variety of circumstances, there are several behaviors that have been noted to confer a high risk of injury to healthcare workers. These include recapping of used needles, transferring body fluids between containers with sharp needles, and failing to dispose of used equipment properly.
Recapping needles by hand is prohibited by OSHA regulations, unless no alternatives exist. If needles must be recapped, they should be recapped with the one hand method. However, this practice is not considered safe, even if done carefully, and should be discouraged. |
Needlestick injuries are of great concern to healthcare workers, as blood-borne diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C can be transmitted during these occupational exposures. It has been estimated that over 600,000 such exposures occur annually in US hospitals. (Henry and Campbell). Most cases of disease transmission occur via needlestick, and the vast majority of these involve a hollow-bore needle. Details regarding the number of cases, and the rates of transmission, of HIV and hepatitis B and C are listed below.
It should be noted that needlestick injuries can happen to any hospital workers, including physicians, nurses, laboratory staff, housekeepers, and other personnel. If you are performing a procedure, it is your responsibility to make sure that all needles, scalpels, and other sharps are properly disposed of in order to prevent injury to others. 