Sharp relief

Highlights from the Eye of the needle report and POINTERS conference on occupational bloodborne virus exposure prevention

Summary:

Latest figures from Public Health England show that needlestick and sharps injuries continue to be relatively common among healthcare workers, with more than one-third occurring after the clinical procedure has finished. John Ballard examines the latest Eye of the needle report and presents highlights from the 2014 POINTERS conference on occupational infections, treatment and reporting strategies.   

THE number of occupational exposures to a bloodborne virus (BBV) reported annually to Public Health England (PHE) continues to rise, its latest Eye of the needle report reveals¹. In 2013, 496 healthcare workers received BBV exposures, compared with …    

John Ballard is editor of Occupational Health [at Work].

Author: John Ballard

Tags bbv - bloodborne viruses health and safety healthcare worker hepatitis hiv hse - health and safety executive injuries at work needlestick sharps

Occupational Health at Work February/March 2015 (vol. 11/5) pp27-34

Download full article