Jump in sharps injury rate in Ireland

“Last year saw the highest number of needlestick or sharps injuries among hospital doctors in at least five years, internal HSE Ireland figures show.

“In 2009, the HSE recorded 102 incidents where consultants and junior doctors were wounded with needles or syringes, representing the highest number of injuries since at least 2004.

“Figures released to the Medical Independent under the Freedom of Information Act show that more than 400 consultants and NCHDs have suffered needlestick injuries over the last five years.

“The data shows that the number of incidents has been increasing steadily year-on-year and has almost doubled since 2006, when 57 such incidents were reported.

“The highest single number of incidents last year occurred in University Hospital Galway, where 23 NCHDs and one consultant were injured with needles or syringes. The hospital recorded the highest proportion of injuries in all HSE hospitals since the beginning of 2007, with 68 incidents involving 66 NCHDs and two consultants. Thirty-five NCHDs and one consultant reported needlestick incidents in 2009 across the HSE South hospitals in Cork, Mallow and Bantry.

“Since 2005, the HSE South hospitals recorded a total of 179 incidents involving 172 junior doctors and seven consultants across the three Cork hospitals. In Kerry General Hospital, 57 NCHDs have been injured by needles and syringes since 2005.

Though it is reported that the figures are both “shocking” and “unexplained”, perhaps this fits into a pattern we on the Clinical Waste Discussion Forum had predicted some years ago.

The data refer only to doctors and no data are available for nurses or ancillary workers. Had they risen in proportion?

Sharps injury rates will inevitably increase with increasing workload pressures, but realistically this is likely to be an issue more for junior staff than consultant grades who are somewhat buffered from those risks.

But perhaps the underlying cause is the introduction of safer sharps!

We had predicted this, with unfamiliarity with the new devices causing an increase in needlestick incidents. The concomitant increase in awareness, with and education activities to support introduction of the new product ranges increase awareness and prompts reporting, but it is the unfamiliarity that is associated with this ‘blip’ in sharps injury rates.

Having predicted this several years ago – see the Clinical Waste Discussion Forum archive files – we have seen it several times and it is probably a natural and highly regrettable, but almost unavoidable consequence of such major change to needle and blade device ranges.

The timeline is right, the circumstances are right.

If this link is proven, let’s hope it settles quickly.

 

 

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