Is Europe falling behind the United States in the field of sharps safety?

摘要

Sharps injuries are the most frequent occupational hazard faced by healthcare workers (HCWs). Such injuries are particularly dangerous in view of their potential for transmitting life-threatening pathogens. In the United States, the matter has already been taken forcefully in hand. On November 6, 2000, President Clinton signed into law the Needle Stick Safety and Prevention Act, requiring all healthcare facilities in the United States to purchase and provide needle protective devices to their staffs. Healthcare employers in the United States are now required under law to maintain a sharps injury log and involve nonmanagerial HCWs in the evaluation and implementation of needle protective devices. In most US healthcare settings, HCWs are protected from sharps injuries by safety devices and have been for nearly a decade now. These devices are now in routine clinical use in most settings.