There are an estimated 385,000 accidental needlestick injuries (NSI) of healthcare workers annually in the United States [1]. 16,000 healthcare workers are exposed to HIV through needlestick injuries annually, with even more having exposure to hepatitis B and C [1]. The seroconversion rate for HIV after a single percutaneous exposure has been estimated by the CDC to be approximately 0.3%, hepat...

A 6-month retrospective self-administered questionnaire study of 482 doctors and 380 midwives in two NHS Trusts was undertaken. The response rate was 384 (80%) and 293 (77%) respectively. The study revealed that only nine per cent of doctors and 46% of midwives had reported the contamination incidents they had received. The doctors' main reason for non-reporting was 'too time consuming' and mid...

This letter responds to your request for an examination of the potential benefits and costs of changes that would be mandated under the proposed Health Care Worker Needlestick Prevention Act (HR 1899), which would require the use of needles with safety features. Percutaneous injuries caused by needlesticks (puncturing of the skin by a needle or similar sharp object) are a serious concern for th...

Needlestick Injuries Among French Medical Students Eric Rosenthal, MD, Christian Pradier, MD, Olivia Keita-Perse, MD, Joëlle Altare, MD, Pierre Dellamonica, MD, Jill-Patrice Cassuto, MD ALTHOUGH THE RISK OF HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) infection through occupational exposures to blood has received considerable attention, relatively few studies have addressed blood exposure accidents (BEAs...

We investigated all reported Percutaneous exposure incidents (PEI) among staff from a large Australian hospital in the 3-year period, 2001-2003. There were a total of 373 PEI, of which 38.9% were needlestick injuries, 32.7% were cutaneous exposures and 28.4% sharps-related injuries. Nurses were the most commonly affected staff members, accounting for 63.5% of the total, followed by doctors (18....

The probability of HIV-1 transmission in a small blood exposure such as a needlestick injury or an unsafe medical injection has been estimated indirectly. Now that several comparable laboratory simulations have provided data on inoculum volumes for such exposures, the epidemiological evidence supporting these estimates can be validated and qualified using dosimetry. This review of data on infec...