Files
Download Full Text (3.4 MB)
Abstract or Description
Background: Sharps or needlestick injuries (NSI) occur in roughly 15% of surgeries and are largely preventable. With such injuries, healthcare workers have a high risk of exposure to blood borne pathogens. Despite the implementation of several prevention measures such as double gloving and using blunt suture needles, there is still a high prevalence of NSIs. The aim of the current study is to conduct a systematic review to identify the most vulnerable parts of the hand for needlestick injuries, the most common tasks during which injuries occurred, and the most common instrument associated with the injury.
Methods: A PubMed search for locations and characteristics of needlestick injuries in the operating room resulted in a total of 85 articles. Of these, 28 studies were selected that reported the most common location of the NSI, instrument, or task during which injuries occurred.
Results: Two studies described the most common location of the NSI, which indicated that the palmar surface of the non-dominant hand was the most common site, particularly the index finger. One of these studies further found that the dorsum of the right hand was most often subject to NSIs inflicted by others. Nineteen studies identified the high-risk instruments involved in NSIs, with the most common instrument being a suture needle. Eleven studies reported the task leading to the NSI, and suturing was implicated as the most common task.
Conclusion: The systematic review highlighted the most common location of NSIs in the operating room as well as the implicated instrument and task. The results of this review propose a redesigning of the surgical glove to account for the most vulnerable parts of the hand for NSIs. Specifically, a glove could be made thicker or from other surgical-grade materials to increase its resistance to a surgical needle, particularly while suturing.
Publication Date
8-17-2023
Keywords
needlestick injury, surgery, ergonomics
Disciplines
Surgery | Surgical Procedures, Operative | Trauma
Recommended Citation
Mirajkar, Shalmali; Bauman, Zachary; and Lowndes, Bethany, "Systematic Review of Needlestick Injuries in the Operating Room: A Case for Surgical Glove Redesigning" (2023). EMET Projects. 50.
https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/emet_posters/50