Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHS
Jane Perry
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Comment on: 'Myths' could leave nurses in danger of sharps injuries
With regards to recapping: If safety-engineered needles and sharps were universally adopted in the U.K., recapping would be a non-issue. In the U.S., in 1988, recapping accounted for 33% of injuries [Jagger et al, NEJM, 1988]; as of 1995 it was down to 6.8% (EPINet surveillance data, UVa); and in 2007, after widespread implementation of safety devices following passage of the Needlestick Safety & Prevention Act, it was 3%. That said, the figure quoted -- "re-sheathing accounts for up to 30% of reported needlestick injuries a year" -- is extraordinarily high, even for developing countries, and is probably not accurate. For example, in data from Brazil, 15% of SIs were due to recapping; in Mexican data, 8%.
