NOISH Alert: Preventing Needlestick Injuries in Health Care Settings

摘要

This Alert provides current scientific information about the risk of needlestick211u001einjury and the transmission of blood-borne pathogens to health care workers. The 211u001edocument focuses on needlestick injuries as a key element in a broader effort to 211u001eprevent all sharps-related injuries and associated blood-borne infections. The 211u001edocument describes five cases of health care workers with needlestick-related 211u001einfections and presents intervention strategies for reducing these risks. Because 211u001emany needleless devices and safer needle devices have been recently introduced 211u001eand the field is rapidly evolving, the Alert briefly describes an approach for 211u001eevaluating these devices.