Sharps Injury Reporting Amongst Surgeons

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of sharps injury reporting amongst surgeons. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 164 surgeons completed a questionnaire on the reporting of sharps injuries, on the reasons for not reporting and their practise of universal precautions. RESULTS: Out of 164 surgeons, only 25.8% had reported all their injuries, 22.5% had reported some and 51.7% had reported none. The top three reasons for not reporting their injuries included perception of low risk of transmission, not being concerned and no time. Of the respondents, 15.9% practised all three universal precautions of double-gloving, face shields and hands-free technique. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that despite local trust adherence to Department of Health policy, sharps injury reporting rates are inadequate. Further investment into healthcare worker education as well as a facilitation of the process of reporting may be necessary to improve reporting rates.