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Occupational Medicine 2004;54:245-249
Occupational Medicine, Vol. 54 No. 4 © Society of Occupational Medicine; all rights reserved

Analysing and interpreting routinely collected data on sharps injuries in assessing preventative actions

G. Moens1,2, G. Mylle1, K. Johannik1, R. Van Hoof2 and G. Helsen1

1 Department of Research & Development, External Service for Prevention and Protection at Work (IDEWE), Leuven, Belgium.
2 Department of Occupational and Insurance Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Background

Sharps injuries (SI) occur frequently in hospitals and are a risk for exposure to bloodborne pathogens. During the 1990s, the safety service of a university general hospital introduced, in collaboration with the occupational health service, specific measures to reduce the number of SI.

Aim

The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence and evolution of SI during this period and to evaluate the effectiveness of the preventative measures taken, making use of routinely collected data.

Method

In a retrospective study, we analysed the number of SI recorded from 1990 to 1997. The study population was all employees at risk of SI. Because the introduction of intensive preventative measures dates from 1996, an effect on the incidence of SI can be expected from 1996. To assess this effect, mean incidence rates for 1990–1995 and for 1996–1997 were compared.

Results

In the study period, a total of 4230 SI were recorded. The global SI incidence rate decreased from 33.4 SI per 100 occupied beds per year in 1990–1995 to 30.1 in 1996–1997 (P < 0.01). In the same period, among nurses a decrease in incidence rate from 17.2 to 12.7 SI per 100 person-years was noted (P < 0.0001) and for the hotel service from 4.8 to 3.7 (not significant).

Conclusion

Although this study has various restraints, these results suggest that intensive preventative actions, in combination with technological advances, may have contributed to a drop of 67 SI cases per year.

Keywords      Hospital personnel; needle stick accident; occupational injury prevention; sharps injury

Received       31 March 2003
Revised         27 August 2003
Accepted       26 January 2004

Correspondence to: Professor Guido Moens, IDEWE, Interleuvenlaan 58, B-3001 Leuven-Heverlee, Belgium. e-mail: guido.moens{at}idewe.be


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