Abstract
Purpose :
The incidence of needlestick and sharps injuries (NSIs) in ophthalmology has been studied in few hospitals. Study results have suggested a moderate-to-high incidence of NSIs and differing patterns of injury among different provider types. In this study, we gathered data on NSIs and splash injuries in a tertiary care academic hospital located in the United States.
Methods :
A survey was created using Google Forms (Google, LLC, Mountain View, CA) and was sent to all individuals involved in ophthalmic care at the University of Illinois at Chicago, including attending ophthalmologists, house staff (residents and fellows), and technicians (clinical and surgical). Respondents were asked to detail the number of NSIs and splash injuries that they have experienced and the contexts in which they occurred. In total, the survey was sent to 133 individuals. All data were imported into and analyzed in Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA). Sixty-three (47%) respondents answered the survey. Of these, six respondents did not complete the entire survey. These incomplete survey data were included in the final analysis to ensure accurate reporting.
Results :
Nineteen respondents (30%) reported ever having experienced an NSI. Including respondents who suffered multiple NSIs, a total of 30 NSIs were reported. The majority occurred in the operating room (67%) with a hollow or solid needle (67%). All NSIs occurred on the hand, except for one NSI in a house staff that occurred on the foot while operating. The largest proportion of NSIs in attending ophthalmologists occurring during procedural tasks (50%), whereas that for technicians occurred during disposal and cleaning (33%). Thirty-one percent of NSIs in attending ophthalmologists were ascribed to “other person caused the injury,” whereas 33% of NSIs in technicians were ascribed to being “rushed.” Trainees ascribed a variety of causes to their NSIs. Fifteen percent of respondents reported having experienced a splash injury.
Conclusions :
NSIs are fairly common in ophthalmic care at the surveyed academic hospital, occurring across various provider roles in differing contexts. The surprisingly high incidence of splash injuries may be related to the frequent use of fluid and irrigation in ophthalmic surgery. Future interventions to reduce the incidence of NSIs and splash injuries are needed to create a safer workspace for all individuals involved in ophthalmic care.
This is a 2020 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.