Nearly 80% of nurses experience needlestick injuries caring
for patients with diabetes

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=25270

Nearly 80% of nurses experience needlestick injuries caring for
patients
with diabetes
29 May 2005

Nearly 80 percent of nurses caring for patients with diabetes reported
experiencing at least one needlestick injury (NI), according to a new
study
published in the current edition of Current Medical Research and
Opinion.1
The study, 'Needlestick injury in acute care nurses caring for patients
with
diabetes mellitus: a retrospective study,' is the first to quantify NIs
in
nurses caring for patients with diabetes. The full study is available
at
http://www.cmrojournal.com.

Needlestick injuries continue to be an important public health concern
because they can expose healthcare workers to blood-borne viruses such
as
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis.2 The findings are of
concern in light of recent measures by government regulators and the
medical
community aimed at reducing needlestick injuries.

Government regulators such as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of
Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) are working together to provide a safe
environment for
healthcare workers. JCAHO issued an "alert" geared toward improving
healthcare facility compliance with provisions of the Needlestick
Safety and
Prevention Act.3 OSHA's Office of Occupational Health Nursing and the
Office
of Occupational Medicine share technical information and best practices
to
control bloodborne pathogen and needlestick hazards in the workplace,
while
identifying important issues and potential methods to address these
issues.4

"It was important for us to quantify the incidence and assess the risks
of
needlestick injury in nurses caring for diabetes patients," said Lars
Nicklasson, senior manager, health economics and outcomes research, at
Novo
Nordisk Inc. "The study is not only the first to show the high risk of
needlestick injury among nurses injecting insulin, but also confirms
previous incidence estimates among nurses."1

Study and findings

The study was based on responses to an internet-based survey from
nurses
caring for patients with diabetes in 381 different hospitals throughout
the
United States. Of 400 nurses who responded, 313 (78.3 percent) reported
experiencing at least one NI, 110 (27.5 percent) reported at least one
NI
within the last twelve months, and 44 of them (40 percent of 110)
reported
multiple NIs. Nearly two-thirds of these injuries (73/110; 66.4
percent)
were punctures that drew blood, resulting in one case of hepatitis C.
NIs
occurred most commonly when the nurses were injecting insulin (33/110;
30
percent).

Of the 110 NIs reported over the past year, disposable syringes were
involved in 88 (80 percent) and half (55) involved a needle device
equipped
with a safety feature that was ineffective, mostly because it was not
fully
activated (47/55; 85.5 percent) or it malfunctioned (2 to 5; 3.6 to 9.1
percent). Nurses reported the injuries in accordance with current
regulations and policies only 21.8 percent of the time.

In the two weeks following their NI, 60.1 percent of nurses said they
were
more afraid of needle devices than before the injury and 41.8 percent
felt
anxious, depressed, or stressed. As a direct result of the NIs, nurses
surveyed missed 77 days of work.

Study author Chris L. Pashos, Ph.D., from HERQuLES - Abt Associates
Inc.,
Lexington, Mass. said, "Not only do these injuries have potential
health
consequences; the emotional distress and resulting missed work days
affect
healthcare services and resources. Clearly, there is much room for
improvement in protecting healthcare workers from injury with needle
devices, particularly for nurses caring for patients with diabetes."

About needlestick safety

According to the American Nursing Association, health care workers
suffer
between 600,000 and one million injuries from conventional needles and
sharps annually. These exposures can lead to hepatitis B, hepatitis C
and
HIV. At least 1000 health care workers are estimated to contract
serious
infections annually from needlestick and sharps injuries. Over 80
percent of
NIs could be prevented with the use of safer needle devices. Less than
15
percent of U.S. hospitals use safer needle devices and systems.5

According to the American Hospital Association, one case of serious
infection by bloodborne pathogens can soon add up to $1 million or more
in
expenditures for testing follow-up, lost time and disability payments.
The
cost of follow-up for a high-risk exposure is almost $3,000 per NI even
when
no infection occurs.5




Sandra Tara Balduf (Ane)

Frontline Hepatitis Awareness

Support for patients and educational materials

http://frontline-hepatitis-awareness.com

1-866-Hep-GoGo 866-437-4646




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