Evaluation of potential reduction in blood and body fluid exposures by use of alternative instruments.

BACKGROUND Injuries from needlestick, sharps injuries and splashes lead to exposure to blood and body fluids with the potential for transmission of blood-borne viruses. AIMS To identify alternative instruments, which if used would improve worker safety. METHODS Retrospective review of 161 injuries with identification of safer alternative products for instruments that caused injury. The proportion of injuries that could be prevented was calculated [with 95% confidence intervals (CI)]. RESULTS The average rate of injury was 7.8/1000 employees per annum (95% CI, 6.8-9.4/1000). In the 2 years the highest rates of injury occurred in pre-registration house officers (164/1000; 95% CI, 64-264/1000), phlebotomists (154/1000; 95% CI, 15-291/1000) and senior house officers (45/1000; 95% CI, 13-77/1000). An upper estimate of 65% (95% CI, 58-72%) of incidents would have been preventable with a change to alternative devices. CONCLUSIONS Change to the use of intrinsically safer instrumentation has the potential to prevent injury to healthcare workers.