Uniform Needlestick and Sharp Object Injury Report
21 Hospitals, 1999
Total Cases: 1,996
Total Average Daily Census: 5,118
| JOB CATEGORY |
| M.D. (attending/staff) |
165 |
8% |
| M.D. (intern/resident/fellow) |
278 |
14% |
| Medical student |
24 |
1% |
| Nurse RN/LPN |
790 |
40% |
| Nursing student |
12 |
1% |
| Respiratory therapist |
42 |
2% |
| Surgery attendant |
96 |
5% |
| Other attendant |
61 |
3% |
| Phlebotomist/venipuncture/I.V. team |
83 |
4% |
| Clinical laboratory worker |
79 |
4% |
| Technologist (non-lab) |
90 |
5% |
| Dentist |
5 |
0% |
| Dental hygienist |
3 |
0% |
| Housekeeper/laundry worker |
70 |
4% |
| Paramedic |
7 |
0% |
| CNA/HHA |
22 |
1% |
| Security |
3 |
0% |
| Other student |
36 |
2% |
| Other |
129 |
7% |
| ( 1,995 records) |
| PLACE OF OCCURRENCE |
| Where did the injury occur in the institution?
|
| Patient room |
596 |
30% |
| Outside patient room |
52 |
3% |
| Emergency department |
134 |
7% |
| Intensive/critical care unit |
152 |
8% |
| Operating room |
508 |
25% |
| Outpatient clinic/office |
120 |
6% |
| Blood bank |
5 |
0% |
| Venipuncture |
13 |
1% |
| Dialysis facility |
12 |
0% |
| Procedure room |
115 |
6% |
| Clinical laboratories |
61 |
3% |
| Autopsy/pathology |
24 |
1% |
| Service/utility area |
37 |
2% |
| Labor and delivery |
41 |
2% |
| Home-care |
14 |
1% |
| Other |
108 |
5% |
| ( 1,992 records) |
| SOURCE PATIENT |
| Was the source patient known? |
| Yes |
1,786 |
90% |
| No |
128 |
6% |
| Unknown |
59 |
3% |
| N/A |
19 |
1% |
| ( 1,992 records) |
| ORIGINAL USER |
| Was the injured worker the original user of the
sharp item? |
| Yes |
1,237 |
62% |
| No |
667 |
33% |
| Unknown |
34 |
2% |
| N/A |
55 |
3% |
| ( 1,993 records) |
| CONTAMINATION |
| Was the sharp item: |
| Contaminated |
1,733 |
87% |
| Uncontaminated |
50 |
3% |
| Unknown |
207 |
10% |
| ( 1,990 records) |
| ORIGINAL PURPOSE |
| For what purpose was the sharp item originally
used? |
| Unknown, N/A |
155 |
8% |
| Injection, IM/subcutaneous |
319 |
16% |
| Heparin or saline flush |
48 |
2% |
| Other injection into IV site or port |
69 |
4% |
| Connect IV line |
21 |
1% |
| Start IV or heparin lock |
105 |
5% |
| Draw venous blood sample |
325 |
16% |
| Draw arterial blood sample |
55 |
3% |
| Obtain body fluid/tissue sample |
33 |
2% |
| Fingerstick/heel stick |
44 |
2% |
| Suturing |
328 |
17% |
| Cutting (surgery) |
165 |
8% |
| Electrocautery |
12 |
1% |
| Contain specimen/pharmaceutical |
29 |
1% |
| Place arterial line |
21 |
1% |
| Fingernails/teeth |
0 |
0% |
| Drilling |
3 |
0% |
| Other |
261 |
13% |
| ( 1,993 records) |
| HOW INJURY OCCURRED |
| Did the injury occur: |
| During use |
634 |
32% |
| Between steps |
261 |
13% |
| Disassembling |
92 |
5% |
| Preparing for reuse |
33 |
2% |
| Recapping |
69 |
3% |
| Withdrawing from resistant material |
51 |
2% |
| Other after use, before disposal |
349 |
18% |
| Item left on disposal container |
8 |
0% |
| Putting item into disposal container |
131 |
7% |
| After disposal, item protuding from disposal container |
48 |
2% |
| Pierced side of disposal container |
4 |
0% |
| Pierced trash/side of inappropriate disposal container |
52 |
3% |
| Restraining patient |
17 |
1% |
| Device left on floor/bed/table/inappropriate place |
93 |
5% |
| Other |
141 |
7% |
| ( 1,983 records) |
| DEVICE |
| What device or item caused the injury? |
| Disposable syringe |
506 |
26% |
| Prefilled cartridge syringe |
33 |
2% |
| Blood gas syringe |
27 |
1% |
| Syringe, other type or not sure which |
20 |
1% |
| Needle on IV line/tubing |
25 |
1% |
| Winged needle IV set |
174 |
9% |
| IV catheter (stylet) |
94 |
5% |
| Vacuum tube blood collection needle/holder |
81 |
4% |
| Spinal or epidural needle |
11 |
1% |
| Unattached hypodermic needle |
42 |
2% |
| Arterial catheter introducer needle |
3 |
0% |
| Central line catheter introducer needle |
11 |
1% |
| Drum catheter needle |
1 |
0% |
| Other vascular catheter needle |
7 |
0% |
| Other non-vascular catheter needle |
4 |
0% |
| Needle, not sure what kind |
48 |
2% |
| Other needle |
116 |
6% |
| . |
| Lancet |
43 |
2% |
| Suture needle |
312 |
16% |
| Scalpel, reusable |
90 |
5% |
| Razor |
5 |
0% |
| Pipette (plastic) |
2 |
0% |
| Scissors |
21 |
1% |
| Bovie electrocautery device |
9 |
1% |
| Bone cutter |
4 |
0% |
| Bone chip |
2 |
0% |
| Towel clip |
4 |
0% |
| Microtome blade |
4 |
0% |
| Trocar |
5 |
0% |
| Specimen/test tube, plastic |
2 |
0% |
| Fingernails/teeth |
21 |
1% |
| Scalpel, disposable |
58 |
3% |
| Retractor, skin/bone hooks |
7 |
0% |
| Staples/steel sutures |
3 |
0% |
| Wire |
10 |
1% |
| Pin |
6 |
0% |
| Drill bit/bur |
15 |
1% |
| Pickups/forcepts/hemostats/clamps |
5 |
0% |
| Sharp item, not sure what kind |
20 |
1% |
| Other item |
69 |
4% |
| . |
| Medication ampule |
3 |
0% |
| Medication vial (small) |
1 |
0% |
| Pipette, glass |
4 |
0% |
| Vacuum tube, glass |
12 |
1% |
| Specimen/test tube, glass |
4 |
0% |
| Capillary tube |
2 |
0% |
| Glass slide |
1 |
0% |
| Glass item, not sure what kind |
7 |
0% |
| Other glass item |
11 |
1% |
| ( 1,963 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 |
164 |
9% |
| No/not applicable |
1,790 |
91% |
| ( 1,954 records) |
| SEVERITY OF INJURY |
| Was the injury: |
| Superficial |
862 |
43% |
| Moderate |
1,022 |
52% |
| Severe |
98 |
5% |
| ( 1,982 records) |
| BODY PART |
| Right hand |
779 |
| Left hand |
1,032 |
| Arm |
53 |
| Face/Head |
24 |
| Ches/Frontt |
7 |
| Leg |
26 |
| Foot and ankle |
14 |
| ( 1,935 records) |
| OSHA |
| Is this incident OSHA reportable? |
| Yes |
296 |
26% |
| No |
860 |
74% |
| ( 1,156 records) |
|
