Effect of Educational Programs, Rigid Sharps Containers, and Universal Precautions on Reported Needlestick Injuries in Healthcare Workers

1991 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 214-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Calvin C. Linnemann ◽  
Constance Cannon ◽  
Martha DeRonde ◽  
Bruce Lanphear
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Educational Programs ◽  
Needlestick Injuries ◽  
Universal Precautions

A Five-Year Study of Needlestick Injuries: Significant Reduction Associated With Communication, Education, and Convenient Placement of Sharps Containers

1992 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 265-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna J. Haiduven ◽  
Tammy M. DeMaio ◽  
David A. Stevens
Keyword(s):  
Infection Control ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Educational Programs ◽  
Needlestick Injuries ◽  
San Jose ◽  
Communication Education ◽  
Santa Clara Valley ◽  
Control Department

AbstractObjective:To decrease the numbers of needlesticks among healthcare workers.Design:All reported needlestick injuries at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, California, were reviewed, analyzed, and tabulated by the infection control department yearly from 1986 to 1990.Setting:A 588-bed county teaching hospital in San Jose, California, affiliated with Stanford University.Participants:All employees of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center who reported needlestick injuries on injury report forms.Interventions:From April to December 1987, more needle disposal containers were added to as many patient care areas and as close to the area of use as possible. Results of 1986, 1988, 1989, and 1990 analyses were communicated yearly to all personnel, extensive educational programs were conducted in 1987 and 1988, and educational efforts continued in 1989 and 1990.Results:In 1986, there were 259 needlestick injuries at our institution, 22% (32) from recapping. After needle disposal containers were added to all patient care areas, needlestick injuries for 1988 totalled 143, a 45% decrease in the total needlestick injuries and a 53% decrease in recapping injuries. Communication of results to all areas of the hospital and educational activities were started in 1987 and continued through the next 3 years. In 1989, there were 135 needlestick injuries, a decrease of 6% from 1988; recapping injuries decreased 40% from 1988. In 1990, there were 104 needlestick injuries, a 23% decrease since 1989, and a 33% decrease in recapping injuries. The total number of needlestick injuries from 1986 to 1990 decreased by 60%, and those injuries from recapping decreased by 81% to 89%.Conclusions:We have continued to monitor needlestick injuries, communicate findings to all personnel, and include needlestick prevention in educational programs. We contend that more convenient placement of needle disposal containers, communication of tidings, and education do decrease needlestick injuries in healthcare workers.

Effect of Educational Programs, Rigid Sharps Containers, and Universal Precautions on Reported Needlestick Injuries in Healthcare Workers

1991 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 214-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Calvin C. Linnemann ◽  
Constance Cannon ◽  
Martha DeRonde ◽  
Bruce Lanphear
Keyword(s):  
Infection Control ◽  
General Hospital ◽  
Educational Program ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Needlestick Injuries ◽  
Universal Precautions ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
University Of Cincinnati ◽  
The University

AbstractObjective:To evaluate the effect of infection control programs on reported needlestick injuries in a general hospital.Design:Surveillance of all reported needlestick injuries at the University of Cincinnati Hospital was maintained by the infection control department for five years, from 1985 through 1989. Data on individual workers were collected, tabulated on a monthly basis, and reviewed continually to monitor trends in injuries. During this time, the effects of each of three new infection control programs on reported injuries were evaluated sequentially.Setting:A 700-bed general hospital that serves as the main teaching hospital of the University of cincinnati.Participants:All employees of University Hospital who reported to personnel health for management of needlestick injuries.Interventions:In 1986, an educational program to prevent injuries was initiated and continued throughout the surveillance period. In 1987, rigid sharps disposal containers were placed in all hospital rooms. In 1988, universal precautions were introduced with an intensive inservice.Results:Surveillance identified 1,602 needlestick injuries (320/year) or 104/1 ,000/ year. After the educational program began, reported injuries increased rather than decreased, and this was attributed to increased reporting. Subsequently, after installation of the new disposal containers, reported injuries returned to the levels seen prior to the educational program, but recapping injuries showed a significant decrease from 63/year to 30, or 20/1,000/year to 10. This decrease was observed in nurses but not in other healthcare workers. After universal precautions were instituted, total injuries increased slightly, but recapping injuries remained at 50% of the levels reported prior to the use of rigid sharps disposal containers.Conclusions: The three infection control programs failed to produce a major reduction in reported needlestick injuries, except for a decrease in recapping injuries associated with the placement of rigid sharps disposal containers in all patient rooms. These observations indicate that new approaches are needed to reduce needlestick injuries.

scholarly journals Intervention to Reduce Needle Stick Injuries

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tun Fizi A ◽  
Maygala A ◽  
Suzana K ◽  
Yogeswari A ◽  
Nishazini MB ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Needle Stick Injury ◽  
Needlestick Injuries ◽  
Safety Practices ◽  
Universal Precautions ◽  
Needle Stick ◽  
High Quality Education ◽  
Needle Stick Injuries ◽  
And Training ◽  
Participative Approaches

Introduction: Healthcare workers face the risk of infection from potentially deadly diseases from the use of unsafe needles every day. It has been estimated that over 350,000 needlestick and sharps related injuries occur annually with an average of 1,000 infections annually and over 100 deaths by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention). It has been reported that 0.6 cases in average of needle stick injury incident occurred in KPJ Seremban almost every month in 2008. Analysis was done and it was that found that the majority of cases were due to failure to adhere to universal precautions. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was done (January to December 2008). Data was collected from reviewed incidence reports. Statistics showed that needle stick injuries occurred after a procedure and during disposal of used needles. We then introduced several measures with these aims; to inculcate ‘Safety Culture’ among healthcare workers through quality training, to ensure that all newly qualified healthcare workers are well trained in handling sharp devices, to reduce the incidence of needlestick injuries, to do effective monitoring audit, to convey knowledge to healthcare workers on safety practices by Infection control team. These strategies included; High quality education and training to all staffs conducted continuously, identifying those at risk, introduce safer medical devices – using of Angiocath for setting IV line and needle-less injection port and providing for a secure work environment. Results: 1) Needle stick injury cases reduce 65% as compared to last year. 2) Through surveys and questionnaires, 95% of healthcare workers understand and adhere to universal precautions in 2009 as compared 30% in previous year. 3) Number training conducted increased from 7days in year 2008 to 21 days in year 2009. Conclusion: Collaborative and participative approaches are helpful in reducing the transmission of blood borne pathogens and other sharps-related injuries.

‘Stat’ workflow modifications to expedite care after needlestick injuries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
J L Smith ◽  
R Banerjee ◽  
D R Linkin ◽  
E P Schwab ◽  
P Saberi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Health ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Post Exposure Prophylaxis ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Intervention Period ◽  
Needlestick Injuries ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Physical And Psychological Health ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

Abstract Background Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is recommended to start within hours of needlestick injuries (NSIs) among healthcare workers (HCWs). Delays associated with awaiting the results of testing from the source patient (whose blood was involved in the NSI) can lead to psychological consequences for the exposed HCW as well as symptomatic toxicities from empiric PEP. Aims After developing a ‘stat’ (immediate) workflow that prioritized phlebotomy and resulting of source patient bloodwork for immediate handling and processing, we retrospectively investigated whether our new workflow had (i) decreased HIV order-result interval times for source patient HIV bloodwork and (ii) decreased the frequency of HIV PEP prescriptions being dispensed to exposed HCWs. Methods We retrospectively analysed NSI records to identify source patient HIV order-result intervals and PEP dispensing frequencies across a 6-year period (encompassing a 54-month pre-intervention period and 16-month post-intervention period). Results We identified 251 NSIs, which occurred at similar frequencies before versus after our intervention (means 3.54 NSIs and 3.75 NSIs per month, respectively). Median HIV order-result intervals decreased significantly (P < 0.05) from 195 to 156 min after our intervention, while the proportion of HCWs who received one or more doses of PEP decreased significantly (P < 0.001) from 50% (96/191) to 23% (14/60). Conclusion Using a ‘stat’ workflow to prioritize source patient testing after NSIs, we achieved a modest decrease in order-result intervals and a dramatic decrease in HIV PEP dispensing rates. This simple intervention may improve HCWs’ physical and psychological health during a traumatic time.

scholarly journals What healthcare professionals owe us: why their duty to treat during a pandemic is contingent on personal protective equipment (PPE)

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 432-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Udo Schuklenk
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Short Supply ◽  
Universal Precautions ◽  
Tax Regimes ◽  
Global North ◽  
Allocation Decisions

Healthcare professionals’ capacity to protect themselves, while caring for infected patients during an infectious disease pandemic, depends on their ability to practise universal precautions. In turn, universal precautions rely on the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE). During the SARS-CoV2 outbreak many healthcare workers across the globe have been reluctant to provide patient care because crucial PPE components are in short supply. The lack of such equipment during the pandemic was not a result of careful resource allocation decisions in the global north, where the short supply could be explained through their high cost. Instead, they were the result of democratically elected governments prioritising low tax regimes over an adequate resourcing of their healthcare delivery systems. Such decisions were made despite global health experts warning about the high probability of pandemics like SARS-CoV2 occurring during our lifetimes. Avoidable allocation decisions by democratically elected political leaders resulted in a lack of sufficient PPE for healthcare professionals. After discussing and discounting various ethical arguments in support of a professional obligation to treat, even without or with suboptimal PPE, I conclude that these policy decisions were sufficiently grave that they provide a sound ethical rationale to justify healthcare workers’ refusal to provide care to infected patients.

An Effective Educational Program to Reduce the Frequency of Needle Recapping

1990 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 635-638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce S. Ribner ◽  
Barbara S. Ribner
Keyword(s):  
Educational Program ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Needlestick Injuries

AbstractWe developed an educational program that reported the rate of needle recapping to healthcare workers, in conjunction with emphasis on appropriate disposal procedures. Over 12 months, the rate of recapping needles used for venipuncture and for percutaneous medication injections fell from 61% to 16% (p<.0001). Over the same period, the recapping of needles used primarily for intravenous (IV) administration fell from 44% to 33% (p = .03). Re-evaluation of the rate of recapping eight months later showed a continuation of these lowered rates. Needlestick injuries were too few in number during the study period to detect any change accompanying the decreased recapping rate. We conclude that programs that report back to employees their rate of recapping can significantly reduce this activity in the disposal of needles used for venipuncture and for percutaneous medication injections. While such reporting may reduce the rate of recapping of needles used for IV administration, the effect is not nearly so marked. Modifications in design remain the most promising approach to preventing needlestick injuries from recapping needles used for IV administration.

Economic burden of needlestick injuries among healthcare workers in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 683-689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Yaping Ai ◽  
Jing Liu ◽  
Ning Yue ◽  
Jianwei Xuan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Burden ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Needlestick Injuries

Stick and Tell A Survey of Emergency Medicine Residents and Needlestick Exposures

2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 1116-1118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Zuraw ◽  
Gretchen Sanford ◽  
Lori Winston ◽  
Shu Chan
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Medicine ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Perceived Barriers ◽  
Health Departments ◽  
Needlestick Injuries ◽  
Residency Programs ◽  
Paper Version ◽  
E Mail ◽  
New Procedures

An estimated 400,000–800,000 sharps-related injuries occur among healthcare workers (HCWs) annually in the United States. The risk of needlestick exposure may be particularly high among emergency medicine (EM) residents, who are learning new procedures in a relatively uncontrolled environment. Despite the potentially serious consequences of percutaneous injuries (PCIs), practitioners in training often down-play the occurrence of PCIs and do not report exposures.Current literature implies that underreporting of needlestick injuries is multifactorial. By not seeking care after needlesticks occur and thereby delaying treatment, residents incur more risk from exposures. We sought to elucidate the underlying issues that might contribute to this lack of reporting needlestick injuries. Using an anonymous survey, we collected information regarding factors that contributed to sustaining a PCI as well as perceived barriers that prevented residents from reporting these exposures. This information is desirable for both residency programs and employee health departments to reduce the occurrence of unreported exposures.The survey contained 19 questions, and all subjects were EM residents from the 8 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education–accredited programs in the state of Illinois during the period January–February 2011. The voluntary survey was distributed via e-mail and through a paper version distributed at a regional EM residency conference.

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