Preventing Needlesticks in Emergency Medical System Workers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Peate WF
• Description:
  Emergency medical system (EMS) workers frequently use sharp devices in injury-prone circumstances that involve limited visibility, confined spaces, rapidly moving vehicles, and uncooperative victims. This study examined the efficacy of an automatic self-retracting lancet in reducing needlestick injuries and related direct and indirect costs. Subjects were 477 active-duty EMS workers. Counseling, laboratory testing (hepatitis B and C, hepatic function enzymes, and human immunodeficiency virus), antiviral prophylaxis, and immunizations were provided according to US Public Health Service guidelines. Baseline and biennial laboratory testing for hepatitis B and C and liver function enzymes were conducted. After the introduction of a spring-loaded automatic-retracting type glucometer lancet device, needlestick injuries decreased from 16 per 954 EMS worker-years to 2 per 477 EMS worker-years. The annualized cost of treatment declined from $8276 to $2068. The change to a self-retracting device decreased the number of needlestick injuries and was cost-effective with a minimal increase in device cost (annualized $366 per year). [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accident Prevention Accidents Accidents, Occupational Delivery Of Health Care Digestive System Emergencies Emergency Responders Health Care Facilities Workforce And Services Health Personnel Laboratories Liver Needlestick Injuries Occupational Health Occupational Injuries Safety

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• Keywords:
  Accident-prevention Emergency-care Emergency-responders Emergency-response Injuries Injury-prevention Laboratory-testing Liver-function Medical-care Medical-personnel Medical-rescue-services Needlestick-injuries Occupational-accidents

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• ISSN:
  1076-2752
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Arizona ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  43
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20031189
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Med 2001 Jun; 43(6):554-557
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2001
• Performing Organization:
  University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19950701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• End Date:
  20060630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:50a5a1551915b3a4df471dd8d8e53b77f532cfd435dbd60d10e457a4e186e45af3ef3b835563a543087fbe2a71a158fd6d68f7219242448bb48820a1321d4a4f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/191513/cdc_191513_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 125.53 KB ]