Analysis of Needlestick Injuries: Causes, Prevention, and Impact

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of needlestick injuries (NSIs), also known as percutaneous injuries, focusing on their occurrence in North America and globally, as well as strategies for prevention. The essay highlights the prevalence of NSIs within the healthcare system, citing statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicating millions of healthcare workers experience such injuries annually, leading to potential exposure to infectious diseases like Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS. It details the various stages at which NSIs can occur, from injection to disposal, and emphasizes the role of both healthcare providers and institutions in implementing preventive measures. These measures include safe handling and disposal of needles, the use of safety devices, and proper training for staff. The essay underscores the importance of eliminating unsafe needle devices and investigating NSIs to ensure a safer healthcare environment. References to the CDC, NIH, and WHO are included to support the information.

Running Head: NEEDLESTICK INJURIES
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NeedleStick Injuries
Student

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Needle Stick Injuries
Needlestick injury (NSI) or percutaneous injury is described as the penetration of the
human skin by a sharp needle or other objects which have been in contact with someone
else's blood, body fluids or tissues before the exposure. The occurrence of injury in North
America and the globe, how it occurs, and how to prevent it, will be discussed in this essay.
Needlestick injuries are the common injuries that occur within the health care system.
According to the world health organization (2018), nearly 2 million health worker experience
percutaneous exposure to different infectious diseases worldwide annually. Among all the
exposures 37.6 percent hepatitis B, nearly 39 percent of Hepatitis C, and 4.4 percent people
were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS due to needlestick injuries around the globe. Among all the
global cases of hepatitis B and C, more than a third and 5 percent of HIV cases occurred due
to NSIs Particularly in Europe 1 million needlestick injuries occurred In the United States
600,000 to 800, 000 needlestick injuries occur each year (Parantainen, Verbeek, Lavoie, &
Pahwa, 2012). Millions of health care professionals such as nurses and physicians in North
America use sharp needles to perform the daily work; hence they are at high risk of having
needlestick injuries. A study conducted by Gillis (2000), in North America there are still
12,000 healthcare professionals, who acquire Hepatitis B annually and between two hundred
to three hundred of these professionals die directly or indirectly because of these types of
exposures. Nearly 781 to 1484 needlestick injuries occur each year the US MRFs (Recycling
Production, 2018).
Needlestick injuries are the wounds that accidentally puncture the skin. Needlestick
injuries can happen at any stage of their use to inject medicine to the patient, disposal after
use, and disassemble the sharp needle and through it to the specific garbage bin. These types
of injuries happen because of dangerous equipment used in stressful, fast-paced and

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commonly understaffed facilities. Very less attention has been given to preventing the needle
stick injuries and the illness that nurses or other healthcare providers develop at the time of
taking care of the diseased person. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention U.S. (2016),
52 percent of injuries happen during insertion or removal, access IV line, transferring
specimens, and collision with sharp or worker.
The prevention of needlestick injuries can be achieved with the efforts of both
employee and employer, or we can say hospitals and the health care providers such as a
nurse, midwives, and physicians. The employee should plan for the safe handling and
disposal of needles, follow standard precautions such as using gloves, and provide proper
training to the staff in relation to handling and safe disposal the needle. The employer should
eliminate the needle device use whenever more safe and effective options such as safer
needle are available, provide their employees' devices with safety features, and should
investigate the needle stick injuries and post-exposure medical evaluation (National Institute
of Health and human services, 2012).
Needlestick injuries are defined as the penetration of the skin by a needle which has
already been in the contact with another person’s blood to body tissues. Worldwide 2 million
health workers experience these injuries worldwide per year and nearly 12000 health-
professional who acquire issue like hepatitis b and c every year. These injuries occur during
the improper use of the needle. These exposures can be prevented by proper handling by the
employee and providing proper training to the staff by the employer.

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References
Centers for Disease control and prevention (2016). Preventing needlestick and sharp injuries.
Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/bbp/sharps.html
National Institute of Health and human services (2012). How to prevent needlestick and
sharp injuries. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2012-123/pdfs/2012-
123.pdf
Parantainen, A., Verbeek, J. H., Lavoie, M. C., & Pahwa, M. (2012). Blunt versus sharp
suture needles for preventing percutaneous exposure incidents in surgical
staff. Archivos de prevención de riesgos laborales, 15(3), 142.
Recycling Production (2018). New study form EREF, in collaboration with SWANA,
quantifies needlestick injury rates for MRF workers. Retrieved from:
https://www.recyclingproductnews.com/article/28942/new-study-from-eref-in-
collaboration-with-swana-quantifies-needlestick-injury-rates-for-mrf-workers
World Health Organization (2018). Needlestick Injuries. Retrieved from:
https://www.who.int/occupational_health/topics/needinjuries/en/