What is the epidemiology of needlestick injuries?
Five primary activities are associated with the majority of needlestick injuries. They are: Disposing of needles, including collection and disposal of materials used duringpatient care procedures Administering injections Drawing blood Recapping needles (not allowed under the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard) Handling trash and dirty linens (termed “downstream injuries”, these usually affect the by the housekeeping department (Chiarello, 1992).
