1,895 needle accidents in Valencia Region’s hospitals

ACCORDING to the Accidental Life Health Exhibition (REBA) professionals in the Valencia Region suffered 1,895 accidents with suture and syringe needles during 2014.
The recording system for such accidents was started in 2009 for monitoring the accidental exposure of health workers to diseases such as the HIV virus and Hepatitis B and C.
Predictably, the most accidents recorded concern nursing staff with 49 per cent of total cases; equating to 4.93 accidents per 100 nurses, with nurses on the wards more susceptible to injury than those in an operating room. Other medical personnel suffered 31 per cent at 3.94 accidents per 100 doctors.
Women are also more likely to be involved in an incident; more than 75 per cent compared with 24 per cent of men. Also the younger the nurse, the less likely to suffer mishaps, with only 8.19 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds reported as having had an accidental needle jab, possibly due to their lessened responsibility on the wards.