Effectiveness of measures to prevent needlestick injuries among ...

3 Descriptive epidemiology of NSI
specialties accounted for 71 % of NSI reported by hospital physicians. Reflecting the
composition of the study population, the most common devices causing NSI were sur-
gical instruments and suture needles, and NSI were most likely to occur in the operat-
ing room (63.9 %). Among respondents practicing non-surgical specialties, IV stylets,
injection needles and blood collection devices were the most likely types of equipment
to be involved in NSI [31].
Work practices accounted for a substantial proportion of NSI in the study population of
Nelsing et al. Respondents identified use of hands rather than instruments during sur-
gical procedures (e.g., manual tissue retraction during surgery) and/or inattentiveness
as the cause of 29 % of 689 NSI due to surgical instruments, and recapping used
needles was the identified cause of 19 % of NSI among internists. Similarly, 35 to
50 % of NSI caused by IV stylets, injection needles and blood collection devices were
attributed to poor work practices, suggesting both a high level of self-awareness of
risky behaviors among Danish physicians and the possibility that training might afford
an effective preventive measure [31].
3.4 Summary
Data from countries reporting NSI surveillance activities show consistent patterns of
risk of NSI, and the patterns noted here are substantially similar to patterns noted by
authors of literature reviews published over the last decade:
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As expected by simple probability, the largest categories of HCW and those
with the most patient contact, nurses and physicians, were the most likely to
report NSI.
NSI were most likely to occur in patient rooms and operating rooms, locations
where sharps were most likely to be used.
Risk of injury varied by the type of sharp equipment in use. These patterns should
be interpreted with caution, as they do not account for differences in the under-
lying frequency of use of various types of equipment.
Two common activities leading to NSI were inappropriate use or disposal of
equipment. It is likely that injuries resulting from these activities can be prevented
Report „Needlestick injuries“ 27