Needle stick or sharps injuries are defined as an accidental piercing of the skin during any procedure which puts the clinician at risk of contamination by a needle from their client/patient.
It is essential for all professionals who work in areas which increases this risk to be vigilant and prepared for the possibility of severe illness; the following guidelines will assist you to maintaining your personal health and safety at work.
Needle-stick injuries
Injuries from needles used in medical procedures are sometimes called needle-stick or sharps injuries.
Sharps can include other medical supplies, such as syringes, scalpels and lancets, and glass from broken equipment.
Once someone has used a needle, viruses in their blood, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV, may contaminate it. This includes needles used to inject illegal drugs. Blood can also contaminate sharps.
Protect yourselves with preventative measures by:
- Ensuring that you are up to date with hepatitis B vaccinations
- Wearing NITRILE gloves
- Being mindful when you work
If needlestick injury occurs, the steps to follow are:
If you pierce or puncture your skin with a used needle, follow this first aid advice immediately:
- Encourage the wound to bleed, ideally by holding it under running water
- Wash the wound using running water and plenty of soap
- Do not scrub the wound while you’re washing it
- Do not suck the wound
- Dry the wound and cover it with a waterproof plaster or dressing
You should also seek urgent medical advice as you may need treatment to reduce the risk of getting an infection:
- Contact your employer’s Occupational Health service if you injure yourself at work
- Otherwise call your GP, NHS 111 or go to the nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department
How to prevent Needle Stick Injuries:
- Use devices with safety features that reduce the risk of a needlestick injury.
- Avoid recapping needles
- Promptly dispose of used needles in appropriate Sharps Bins
- Report all needlesticks and sharps-related injuries to ensure you receive appropriate follow up care
- Participate in training related to infection prevention
Assessing your injury
The healthcare professional treating you will assess the risks to your health and ask about your injury – for example, how and when it happened, or who had used the needle.
Samples of your blood may need to be tested for hepatitis B and C or HIV.
Although rare, there’s also a small risk of other infections being transmitted through contaminated blood, such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus, which causes glandular fever.
Your healthcare professional may also arrange to test samples of the other person’s blood if they give their consent.
Will I need any treatment?
If your healthcare professional thinks you’re at low risk of infection, you may not need any treatment.
If there’s a higher risk of infection, you may need:
- Antibiotic treatment – for example, if you have cellulitis (infection of the skin)
- Vaccination against hepatitis B
- Treatment to prevent HIV
If there’s a high risk of infection with HIV, your healthcare professional may consider treatment called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
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