What is the protocol for needle stick injury?

What to do if you get stuck with a needle at work?

Wash needlesticks and cuts with soap and water. Flush splashes to the nose, mouth, or skin with water. Irrigate eyes with clean water, saline, or sterile irrigants. Report the incident to your supervisor.

What constitutes a needle stick injury?

Immediately wash the wound and surrounding skin with water and soap, and rinse. Do not scrub. Do not use antiseptics or skin washes (bleach, chlorine, alcohol, betadine).

How long after a needlestick should you get tested?

What are needlestick injuries? Needlestick injuries are wounds caused by needles that accidentally puncture the skin. Needlestick injuries are a hazard for people who work with hypodermic syringes and other needle equipment. These injuries can occur at any time when people use, disassemble, or dispose of needles.

What tests are done after a needlestick?

You should be tested for HCV antibody and liver enzyme levels (alanine amino- transferase or ALT) as soon as possible after the exposure (baseline) and at 4-6 months after the exposure. To check for infection earlier, you can be tested for the virus (HCV RNA) 4-6 weeks after the exposure.

Should you squeeze a needle stick injury?

If you sustain a needlestick injury, take the following actions immediately: • Wash the wound with soap and water. Alert your supervisor and initiate the injury reporting system used in your workplace. Identify the source patient, who should be tested for HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C infections.

What diseases can be transmitted through needle stick injury?

What percentage of needle stick injuries are preventable?

Although there is no reliable evidence that squeezing blood following a needle stick injury reduces the risk of blood borne infection, this recommendation remains in vogue at many NHS Trusts while others clearly oppose it.

What is the immediate first aid for a needle stick injury?

Blood-borne diseases that could be transmitted by a needlestick injury include human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV). Thoroughly wash the wound with soap and water, and go to your doctor or nearest emergency department as soon as possible.

Do all needlestick injuries bleed?

A majority (64%) of all hollow-bore needle-related injuries can be prevented by using needles only when necessary, using devices with engineered safety features, properly using the safety features on these devices, following proper work practices (such as not recapping used needles), and properly disposing of needles

Which is acceptable if recapping a needle is necessary?

Wash the area gently with soap and running tap water as soon as possible. Apply an antiseptic and a clean dressing. Obtain prompt medical advice from your local doctor or hospital emergency department, preferably within 24 hours. Dispose of the needle safely.

How often do needle stick injuries occur?

Generally, needlestick injuries cause only minor visible trauma or bleeding; however, even in the absence of bleeding the risk of viral infection remains.

How common are needle stick injuries?

OSHA policy is that recapping of needles, in general, is not appropriate. Used needles are to be placed in sharps disposal containers without recapping.

Why you shouldn’t recap a needle?

Needlesticks are a common occurrence in the health care profession. It is estimated that 600 000 to 800 000 needlestick injuries occur per year in the United States [1]. Of these, many, if not most, go unreported [2].

What is the one handed scoop method?

Results: A total of 476 injuries were reported. Needlestick injury of fingers was the most common. Doctors were found to have the highest exposure rate (73.7%) distantly followed by nurses (19.1%).

What do you do if you find a used needle?

Recapping needles is extremely dangerous because it can result in accidental punctures of the fingers or hand, which can lead to potential exposure to hazardous chemicals, drugs, or infectious biological agents.

Can you flush needles?

One-hand scoop technique

Place the needle cap against a firm upright surface with its opening towards the phlebotomist, and place the used needle tip into it. Lift the needle and syringe vertically and, once the tip is covered, use the other hand to fix the cap into place.