Needlestick injury

Any piercing wound can be potentially classified as a needlestick injury, but the term is most frequently used in relation to healthcare workers. On occasion, when drawing blood, administering an intramuscular or intravenous drug, or performing other procedures involving sharps, the instrument can slip and injure the healthcare worker. These injuries also commonly occur during needle recapping and as a result of failure to place used needles in approved sharps disposal containers.

Needlestick injuries have the potential of spreading blood-borne diseases such as the hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses. Needlestick injuries also put the individual at risk of contracting the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the virus which causes AIDS.

Following a needlestick injury, certain procedures must be followed to minimize the risk of infection. Namely, post-exposure prophylaxis must be administered, which is to say that large doses of antibiotics and antiviral drugs should be taken to prevent disease.