Doctors keep mum about needle injuries

A third of health professionals accidentally stuck by a needle at work don't report the incident.

And the worst culprits of non-reporting are doctors, according to new research just published.

A study of more than 1300 doctors, nurses and midwives employed by the Waikato District Health Board found that while needlesticks happened most frequently to doctors, 40% of those incidents were not documented according to DHB protocol.

Reasons given for non-reporting included a lack of time, a lack of importance and awareness of the correct procedure to follow. This was despite Waikato DHB having implemented a needlestick injury prevention programme that included staff education of safe work practices. Of the 123 people who revealed to researchers that they had been stuck by a needle over a 12-month period, 27 had had it happen two or three times and an unlucky three had received five or six sticks.

In total, a third of needlesticks were not reported with 26 of 65 doctors not following protocol compared to 26 of 97 nurses affected.

The researchers also discovered that for every 10 years of experience, the risk of a needlestick injury reduced by 18%.

The researchers said the needlestick reporting process needed reviewing and doctors given priority in the development of any future risk management strategies.