The National Institute for Occupational Safety
& Health (NIOSH) estimates that 600,000 to 800,000 needlestick injuries
occur annually in the hospital setting with nursing staff being the most
frequently injured. EPINET data shows that needlestick injuries
occur most frequently in patient rooms. The primary causes of
needlestick injuries and their respective frequencies of occurrence are
estimated to be:
According to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data, the number of needlestick and other percutaneous injuries among healthcare workers is growing every year.
About half of these
injuries are unreported. At an average hospital, workers incur
approximately 30 needlestick injuries per 100 beds per year. In one study, needlestick injuries were
reduced anywhere from 23% to 76% by using safer needles.
However, this is not just a U.S. problem.
There are more than 100,000 needlestick injuries in UK hospitals each
year. Needlestick injuries are virtually undocumented in many developing
countries, but probably equal or exceed those in the industrial world.
Some 10 million needles are used every year in the NHS in Scotland with
around 4,000 needlestick injuries, two-thirds of which are suffered by
nurses. Thousands of Australian hospital workers suffer needle-stick
injuries each year and the incidence is increasing. Doctors, nurses and
scientists warn that the problem is far greater than statistics reveal,
claiming that many injuries go unreported. Victorian Work Cover Authority
figures show that the number of claims for needle-stick injuries in
Australia jumped 12.6 per cent between 1996-97 and 1997-98.
THE NEED REGULATIONS
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