Uniform Needlestick and Sharp Object Injury Report
26 Hospitals, 2000Total Cases: 1,787
Total Average Daily Census: 4,721
| JOB CATEGORY |
| M.D. (attending/staff) |
125 |
7% |
| M.D. (intern/resident/fellow) |
193 |
11% |
| Medical student |
15 |
1% |
| Nurse RN/LPN |
769 |
43% |
| Nursing student |
4 |
0% |
| Respiratory therapist |
34 |
2% |
| Surgery attendant |
121 |
7% |
| Other attendant |
42 |
2% |
| Phlebotomist/venipuncture/I.V. team |
82 |
5% |
| Clinical laboratory worker |
41 |
2% |
| Technologist (non-lab) |
67 |
4% |
| Dentist |
5 |
0% |
| Dental hygienist |
2 |
0% |
| Housekeeper |
67 |
4% |
| Laundry worker |
1 |
0% |
| Paramedic |
2 |
0% |
| CNA/HHA |
32 |
2% |
| Security |
4 |
0% |
| Other student |
31 |
2% |
| Other |
146 |
8% |
| (1,783 records) |
| PLACE OF OCCURRENCE |
| Where did the injury occur in the institution? |
| Patient room |
497 |
28% |
| Outside patient room |
44 |
3% |
| Emergency department |
172 |
10% |
| Intensive/critical care unit |
122 |
7% |
| Operating room |
450 |
25% |
| Outpatient clinic/office |
142 |
8% |
| Blood bank |
1 |
0% |
| Venipuncture center |
14 |
1% |
| Dialysis facility |
8 |
0% |
| Procedure room |
86 |
5% |
| Clinical laboratories |
47 |
3% |
| Autopsy/pathology |
14 |
1% |
| Service/utility area |
45 |
3% |
| Labor and delivery |
42 |
2% |
| Home-care |
25 |
1% |
| Other |
74 |
4% |
| (1,783 records) |
| SOURCE PATIENT |
| Was the source patient known? |
| Yes |
1,592 |
89% |
| No |
110 |
6% |
| Unknown |
48 |
3% |
| N/A |
32 |
21% |
| (1,782 records) |
| ORIGINAL USER |
| Was the injured worker the original user of the sharp item? |
| Yes |
1,119 |
63% |
| No |
596 |
33% |
| Unknown |
15 |
1% |
| N/A |
49 |
3% |
| (1,779 records) |
| CONTAMINATION |
| Was the sharp item: |
| Contaminated |
1,552 |
87% |
| Uncontaminated |
91 |
5% |
| Unknown |
138 |
8% |
| (1,781 records) |
| ORIGINAL PURPOSE |
| For what purpose was the sharp item originally used? |
| Unknown, N/A |
119 |
7% |
| Injection, IM/subcutaneous |
340 |
19% |
| Heparin or saline flush |
45 |
3% |
| Other injection into IV site or port |
71
|
4% |
| Connect IV line |
17 |
1% |
| Start IV or heparin lock |
90 |
5% |
| Draw venous blood sample |
288 |
16% |
| Draw arterial blood sample |
44 |
3% |
| Obtain body fluid/tissue sample |
30 |
2% |
| Fingerstick/heel stick |
45 |
3% |
| Suturing |
283 |
16% |
| Cutting (surgery) |
124 |
7% |
| Electrocautery |
6 |
0% |
| Contain specimen/pharmaceutical |
27 |
2% |
| Place arterial line |
23 |
1% |
| Fingernails/teeth |
0 |
0% |
| Drilling |
9 |
1% |
| Other |
224 |
13% |
| (1,785 records) |
| HOW INJURY OCCURRED |
| Did the injury occur: |
| Before use |
23 |
1% |
| During use |
537 |
30% |
| Between steps |
204 |
12% |
| Disassembling |
67 |
4% |
| Preparing for reuse |
30 |
2% |
| Recapping |
66 |
4% |
| Withdrawing from resistant material |
51 |
3% |
| Other after use, before disposal |
366 |
21% |
| Item left on disposal container |
3 |
0% |
| Putting item into disposal container |
129 |
7% |
| After disposal, item protuding from disposal container |
38 |
2% |
| Pierced side of disposal container |
7 |
0% |
| Pierced trash/side of inappropriate disposal container |
41 |
2% |
| Restraining patient |
20 |
1% |
| Device left on floor/bed/table/inappropriate place |
83 |
5% |
| Other |
113 |
6% |
| (1,778 records) |
| DEVICE |
| What device or item caused the injury? |
| Disposable syringe |
508 |
29% |
| Prefilled cartridge syringe |
40 |
2% |
| Blood gas syringe |
22 |
1% |
| Syringe, other type or not sure which |
21 |
1% |
| Needle on IV line/tubing |
16 |
1% |
| Winged needle IV set |
146 |
8% |
| IV catheter (stylet) |
87 |
5% |
| Vacuum tube blood collection needle/holder |
75 |
4% |
| Spinal or epidural needle |
9 |
1% |
| Unattached hypodermic needle |
22 |
1% |
| Arterial catheter introducer needle |
10 |
1% |
| Central line catheter introducer needle |
2 |
0% |
| Drum catheter needle |
0 |
0% |
| Other vascular catheter needle |
7 |
0% |
| Other non-vascular catheter needle |
0 |
0% |
| Needle, not sure what kind |
37 |
2% |
| Other needle |
82 |
5% |
| . |
| Lancet |
39 |
2% |
| Suture needle |
268 |
15% |
| Scalpel, reusable |
68 |
4% |
| Razor |
13 |
1% |
| Pipette (plastic) |
1 |
0% |
| Scissors |
14 |
1% |
| Bovie electrocautery device |
7 |
0% |
| Bone cutter |
2 |
0% |
| Bone chip |
1 |
0% |
| Towel clip |
4 |
0% |
| Microtome blade |
1 |
0% |
| Trocar |
5 |
0% |
| Vacuum tube, plastic |
1 |
0% |
| Specimen/test tube, plastic |
3 |
0% |
| Fingernails/teeth |
30 |
2% |
| Scalpel, disposable |
44 |
3% |
| Retractor, skin/bone hooks |
9 |
1% |
| Staples/steel sutures |
3 |
0% |
| Wire |
13 |
1% |
| Pin |
5 |
0% |
| Drill bit/bur |
14 |
1% |
| Pickups/forcepts/hemostats/clamps |
6 |
0% |
| Sharp item, not sure what kind |
18 |
1% |
| Other item |
69 |
4% |
| . |
| Medication ampule |
4 |
0% |
| Medication vial (small) |
5 |
0% |
| Pipette, glass |
1 |
0% |
| Vacuum tube, glass |
3 |
0% |
| Specimen/test tube, glass |
5 |
0% |
| Capillary tube |
3 |
0% |
| Glass slide |
4 |
0% |
| Glass item, not sure what kind |
4 |
0% |
| Other glass item |
5 |
1% |
| (1,756 records) |
| SAFETY DESIGN |
| If the item causing the injury was a needle, was it a safety design with a shielded, recessed, or retractable needle? |
| Yes |
218 |
13% |
| No |
1,504 |
87% |
| Unknown |
9 |
0% |
| (1,731 records) |
| IF SAFETY DESIGN: |
| If the item causing the injury was a safety design with a shielded, recessed, or retractable needle, was the safety mechanism activated? |
| Yes, fully |
5 |
5% |
| Yes, partially |
24 |
22% |
| No |
80 |
73% |
| (109 records) |
| IF SAFETY DESIGN: |
| If the item causing the injury was a safety design with a shielded, recessed, or retractable needle, did the injury happen? |
| Before activation |
72 |
68% |
| During activation |
24 |
23% |
| After activation |
10 |
9% |
| (106 records) |
| SEVERITY OF INJURY |
| Was the injury: |
| Superficial |
901 |
51% |
| Moderate |
785 |
45% |
| Severe |
69 |
4% |
| (1,755 records) |
| BODY PART |
| Right hand |
665 |
| Left hand |
917 |
| Arm |
67 |
| Face/Head |
14 |
| Chest/Front |
10 |
| Back |
2 |
| Leg |
24 |
| Foot and ankle |
7 |
| (1,706 records) |
|
