Percutaneous injuries in a high-volume podiatric surgical residency program

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Surgical Safety
• Infectious Disease Prevention

Background:

• Percutaneous injuries, such as needlestick injuries, pose occupational hazards for residents performing invasive procedures.
• Transmission of blood-borne pathogens is a significant risk associated with these injuries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the frequency and circumstances of percutaneous injuries among podiatric surgical residents.
• To identify specific situations and factors contributing to these injuries.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted among 20 podiatric surgical residents covering July 1991 to July 1999.
• A two-part questionnaire gathered data on percutaneous injuries during 19,505 surgical cases (16,185 podiatric, 3,347 nonpodiatric).

Main Results:

• 80% of residents reported at least one percutaneous injury during training.
• The overall incidence was 0.17% per surgical case (0.14% for foot/ankle).
• Most injuries were self-inflicted (66.7%), occurred during wound closure (72.7%), and involved nonhollow needles (81.8%). Injuries predominantly affected the left hand (67%).

Conclusions:

• Percutaneous injuries are common among podiatric surgical residents, with specific circumstances identified.
• While reporting is high, consistent patient and resident screening for blood-borne pathogens requires attention.
• No resident exposure to HIV or hepatitis B/C was confirmed in tested cases.