Sharps injury reporting amongst surgeons.
Hui-Ling Kerr1, Nicola Stewart, Alistair Pace
1Department of Orthopaedics, King's Mill Hospital, Nottinghamshire, UK. hui.kerr@gmail.com
Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
|July 23, 2009
Summary
Surgeon sharps injury reporting rates are low, with over half of respondents reporting none. Inadequate reporting stems from perceived low risk and time constraints, necessitating improved education and reporting processes.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare worker safety
- Surgical practice
- Occupational health
Background:
- Sharps injuries pose a significant risk to healthcare professionals.
- Effective reporting systems are crucial for injury prevention and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the extent of sharps injury reporting among surgeons.
- To identify barriers to reporting sharps injuries.
- To evaluate the adherence to universal precautions.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire was administered to 164 surgeons.
- Data collected included sharps injury reporting history, reasons for non-reporting, and universal precaution practices.
Main Results:
- Only 25.8% of surgeons reported all sharps injuries; 51.7% reported none.
- Key reasons for non-reporting: perceived low transmission risk, lack of concern, and time constraints.
- Only 15.9% consistently used all three universal precautions (double-gloving, face shields, hands-free technique).
Conclusions:
- Sharps injury reporting rates among surgeons are unacceptably low, despite institutional policies.
- Enhanced healthcare worker education and streamlined reporting procedures are vital.
- Interventions are needed to improve adherence to universal precautions and reporting practices.
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