Health care staff need ‘sharps’ protection

By Karen Carstens

Date: 11/12/03

EU LAWS must be tightened up to help prevent the transmission of blood-borne pathogens including HIV to health care workers through injuries caused by needles and other sharp medical devices, the European Medical Technology Industry Association (Eucomed) has warned.

Specific European Union guidelines must be added to existing directives on safety and health in the workplace to also cover such so-called sharpsinjuries, said the body's Director-General Maurice Wagner.

"It is not acceptable that health care employers or workers accept the risk of infection as simply 'part of the job'.

"There is a great deal that can be done to reduce the risk, and there is both an ethical and a legal obligation to do so," he added.

The existing EU legal framework for health and safety in the workplace has failed to prevent injuries caused by syringe needle-stick and other 'sharps'.

The issue is at present being addressed by only a handful of member states, with governments establishing new guidelines or legislation in Germany, Spain and the UK, the association said.

In a typical hospital, staff suffer approximately 12-30 needle-stick injuries per 100 beds annually.

But some 60-80% of cases go unreported, according to the medical industry's estimates.

While staff are not necessarily infected in every case, the risk of transmission if the needle, or other medical 'sharp', is contaminated is in the order of one in three workers for Hepatitis B, one in 30 workers for Hepatitis C and one in 300 workers for HIV, which carries with it the risk of developing AIDS.

Moreover, Eucomed emphasizes, even in cases where no infection occurs "the psychological impact can be very significant".

"A lengthy process of diagnostic treatment and intensive drug regimes is often necessary before it is known whether a serious disease has been contracted or not," it explains.

As a result, 'sharps' injuries also impose a major economic burden on the health system.

Ancillary staff, such as cleaners and laundry workers, as well as laboratory and other technical support staff, are also exposed to risk in cases where, for example, a needle has been unintentionally left in a hospital bed.

Eucomed said that a combination of training, safer working practices and the use of medical devices incorporating "needle-stick protection technology" can prevent a vast number of these potentially fatal injuries - by up to 80-100% if all elements are combined.

'Sharps' injuries were discussed at a European Commission health policy forum in November 2002 and debated at a seminar held at the European Parliament in March 2003.

With the aim of preventing inequality in the level of protection provided for healthcare workers across Europe, the latter event produced a manifesto for action at EU level. It was put forward by a coalition of health care workers, patients, medical technology manufacturers, medical professionals and other stakeholders.

The European Medical Technology Industry Association (EUCOMED) has warned that European Union laws must be tightened to help prevent transmission of blood-borne pathogens, including the HIV virus, to health workers through injuries caused by used needles and other sharp medical devices.

http://www.eucomed.be/docs/Press%20Release%2039.03%20-%20Blood%20safety1.pdf http://www.eucomed.be/docs/Press%20Release%2039.03%20-%20Blood%20safety1.pdf

http://www.eucomed.org/ http://www.eucomed.org/

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