Needle and Sharp Instrument Safety

Needlestick/sharp instrument injuries are of major concern to health care workers.All of the significant exposures reported in the academic year 2003/04 in our Faculty, were injuries of this type. The risk of transmission of hepatitis B to those not immunized through significant percutaneous exposure is 30%, hepatitis C is 3%, and HIV is 0.3%. Maintain sharp ends of any instrument or device angled away from both you and co-workers when receiving, handling or passing such instruments.

Used needles should not be bent or broken prior to disposal. Unsheathed needles are placed directly into the designated, puncture-proof disposal container along with any other sharp instruments such as acid etch applicator needles, endodontic files, burs, Bard Parker and scalpel blades, and metal matrices.

Needle Destroyer - Puncture Proof Container

When resheathing needles, simple precautions to prevent injuries are to:

1. use only one hand to scoop the cap

2. hold the sheath with a hemostat (suggested but will require hemostat with each procedure that requires anesthetic)

3. use a special plastic or disposable device that slips onto the sheath to protect fingers during resheathing (not available at the Faculty)

4. use a syringe stand, in which the sheath is held tightly within the stand, allowing the needle to be withdrawn and placed back into the sheath with one hand.

Do NOT pass sharp instruments or corrosive liquids over the patients' face.

We have talked in detail about sterilization and infection control and as part of the operatory protocol. One last main aspect of operatory protocol is the management of wastes generated in the operatory.