Needlestick and sharps injuries among dental healthcare workers at a university hospital

Background/PurposeNeedlestick/sharps injuries (NSI) are a major occupational hazard among healthcare workers. Since needles and sharps are commonly used during dental procedures, workers in the dental profession are especially prone to sharps-related injuries. In this study, NSI among workers in the dental department of National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) were analyzed to find out the risk factors associated with NSI.MethodsNSI cases reported by the Department of Dentistry to NTUH from 2009 to 2011 were collected. Correlations between NSI and parameters related to the events were analyzed.ResultsA total of 56 NSI events including 31 occurring during surgical treatment and 25 occurring during cleanup procedure were reported. The annual incidence of NSI was 8.19% among all dental workers. NSI incidences per person-year were 21.28% for interns, 7.50% for residents, 6.77% for nursing staffs, 3.33% for clerks, and 0.85% for attending doctors (P < 0.001, chi-square test). NSI events occurred more frequently in the 3-month period from July to September (20 cases), on Wednesday (18 cases) or Friday (14 cases), and at the hours from 11:00 to 14:00 and after 16:00 (39 cases). Dental injection needle (19 cases) was the most common instrument involved in NSI and 9 of these 19 needle injuries occurred during need removal.ConclusionNSI events tend to occur in dental personnel (interns) with lesser clinical skill and experience, in the period (from July to September) when new interns and residents join the clinic, on the working days in the middle (Wednesday) and end (Friday) of the week, and at the hours close to lunch break (11:00 to 14:00) and getting off duty (after 16:00). In addition, establishment of standard operating procedure for injection needle removal is necessary, because one-third of NSI are needle-related.