{"id":5065,"date":"2023-03-06T00:00:13","date_gmt":"2023-03-05T22:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eu.bd.com\/iv-news\/?p=5065"},"modified":"2026-02-25T11:46:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T09:46:13","slug":"the-global-challenge-of-needlestick-injuries-in-healthcare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eu.bd.com\/iv-news\/scientific-publications\/the-global-challenge-of-needlestick-injuries-in-healthcare\/","title":{"rendered":"The global challenge of needlestick injuries in healthcare"},"content":{"rendered":"

Needlestick injuries (NSIs) remain a global threat, with an estimated 44.5% of healthcare workers experiencing at least one occurrence annually.1<\/sup><\/p>\n

In Europe, steps have been taken to combat sharps injuries. The EU Directive 2010\/32\/EU has sparked greater conversation around implementing safer work environments and practices to help protect healthcare workers from NSI-related injury and infection.2<\/sup><\/p>\n

However, some regions are still discovering the gravity of needlestick injuries in healthcare. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), studies of needlestick injuries in healthcare are few.3<\/sup><\/p>\n

To investigate the annual occurrence of sharps injuries and their risk factors in the KSA, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 361 healthcare workers in hospitals and dental clinics across the region from October to November 2021.3<\/sup><\/p>\n

How do KSA numbers compare to those reported globally? With these numbers, can we better understand how to prevent a needlestick injury?<\/p>\n

Learn more about the progress made in Europe since the legislation: <\/strong>10 years of the EU Directive 2010\/32\/EU \u2013 Prevention of sharps injuries in the hospital and healthcare sector<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

How many needlestick injuries occur each year?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Every year, it is estimated that 385,000 healthcare workers in the United States and more than 1 million healthcare workers in Europe experience a percutaneous injury each year as a result of accidents with needles or sharps.4,5<\/sup><\/p>\n

Globally, approximately 3 million healthcare workers experience a sharps injury every year.4<\/sup><\/p>\n

In the KSA, 22.2% of survey respondents have experienced at least one sharps injury in the last year, with physicians (36%) and nurses (34.8%) ranking highest.3<\/sup><\/p>\n

34% of all sharps injuries documented in the survey were reported to have been contaminated with blood.3<\/sup> Blood exposure can increase the transmission of harmful bloodborne pathogens such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV).3<\/sup><\/p>\n

Globally, sharps injuries lead to 66,000 HBV, 16,000 HCV and up to 5,000 HIV infections among healthcare workers every year.6<\/sup><\/p>\n

Learn more about the risks of needlestick injuries in healthcare: <\/strong>Burdens of blood exposure and needle stick injury for healthcare workers \u2013 Awareness is key<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Reporting a needlestick injury: Can we trust the numbers?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Reporting a needlestick injury remains globally unsystematic. According to the United States Centre for Disease Control, at least half of sharps injuries are not reported.5<\/sup><\/p>\n

One questionnaire among hospitals in the United Kingdom concluded out of 80 doctors who experienced a sharps injury, 30 did not report it to their occupational health department.7<\/sup><\/p>\n

In the KSA, underreporting is also a critical issue. More than half (53.8%) of the survey respondents who experienced a sharps injury did not notify authorities.3<\/sup><\/p>\n

Many factors influence whether or not a healthcare worker reports a sharps injury. The survey authors speculate that in the KSA, underreporting may be attributed to:3<\/sup><\/p>\n