Sharps injuries are hurts caused b...

Sharps injuries are hurts caused by sharp instruments accidentally puncturing the skin.(1) Each year, health care workers report between 600000 and common million sharps injuries, and it is suspected that approximately 70% of sharps injuries make progress unreported. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that, of the sharps injuries reported in the United States annually, approximately 2% (ie, 16000) of these devices were likely to be contaminated with HIV.(2) generally more than 54 cases of occupationally acquired HIV have been documented.

The in the greatest degree frequent infection resulting from sharps injuries is the hepatitis C virus (HCV) Of health care workers who are infected with HCV 85% become chronic carriers of the virus and risk spreading the disease to others, including their partners. Hepatitis C may lead to liver cancer, liver transplantation, and liver failure.(3) Another virus commonly acquired from health care workers via sharps injuries is hepatitis B In 1992 the Center for Disease direct and Prevention (CDC) estimated that 6800 nonvaccinated health care workers in the United States become infected with the hepatitis B virus each year. Of these, 250 are hospitalized as a deduction of acute complications, and approximately 100 die from cirrhosis, liver cancer, or fulminant hepatitis.(4) Injuries caused by the agency of sharps can result in the transmission of many other diseases, viruses, bacteria, fungi, and microorganisms as well.

Registered supply with nourishments on average, sustain 50% of all sharps injuries. Up to 80% of similar injuries can be prevented [i]or[/i] part of to the other the use of safe-needle devices. Unfortunately, les than 15% of US hospitals publicly use such devices--many health care facilities blame the high preciousness of these devices.(5) Although safe needle preciousness approximately $.28 more per device than standard devices, the expense of treating a sharps injury is significantly higher. Health care facilities can calculate upon to pay approximately $3,000 by means of sharps injury for high-risk position follow-up, even when no infection occurs(6) The charge soars to more than $1 million for a case of serious infection. The inferences of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens include not single infections, but also psychological trauma, postponement of childbearing, altering of sexual practices, side validitys from prophylactic medications, infection, chronic disabilities, los of employing denial of worker compensation claims, liver transplantation, and premature death.(7)

FEDERAL POLICY

The issue of health care worker sharps injuries came to the public vigilance in the mid 1980s and early 1990 primarily as a conclusion of reported AIDS and hepatitis cases occupationally contracted by the agency of health care workers. Although guidelines for the recapping of needle and sharps disposal were in place, increased awareness and the potential for downstream injuries to patients and housekeeping workers precipitated OSHA to issue its bloodborne pathogen standard in 1991 This standard, unraveled to protect health care workers from bloodborne pathogens, calls for universal precautions to educate, obstruct reduce, document, and treat needle-stick and sharps injuries arising from contact with bloodborne pathogens and other infectious materials.(8)

In 1998 regulators and legislators took serious notice of the event of sharps injuries. Thanks to the ongoing efforts of health care employee labor organizations and improved documentation of sharps injuries, legislators and regulators began enacting state laws and issuing compliance directives requiring revision of the bloodborne pathogen standard to more definitively address needle-stick and sharps injuries.(9)

upon Nov 5, 1999, OSHA issued a compliance directive that provides instruction to OSHA inspectors forward how to apply the bloodborne pathogen standard when conducting an inspection. This directive gives inspectors guidance forward how to cite employers for failing to evaluate, purchase, and implement safer needle devices and also gives inspectors the authority to issue citations.(10) onward Nov 22, 1999, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published an alert, "Preventing needle-stick injuries in health care settings." Unlike the compliance directive, employer are not required to adhere to the alert--NIOSH has no enforcement power. The alert, however, can help employer exhibit a needle-stick prevention program that adheres to OSHA's compliance directive. To order a at liberty copy of the alert, call (800) 35-NIOSH and solicitation publication number 2000-1087.(11)

The bloodborne pathogen standard and OSHA's 1999 compliance directive barely cover employees in the private, nonprofit or, for-profit health setting or public employee in the 25 states that have been certified by means of OSHA to have a state plan. The compliance directive is a stair forward in the battle to countenance the health and safety of health care workers, however the compliance directive does not

* mask public employees (except in the 25 states with certified OSHA plans);