Who is at risk from sharps injuries?
The professions most at risk from a sharps injury are:
- medical/dental staff – 46%
- nursing staff – 44%
- professions allied to medicine (such as pharmacy) – 6%
- ancillary staff – 2%
HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV), and hepatitis B virus (HBV) are blood-borne pathogens that pose occupational hazards to healthcare workers (HCWs) exposed to the blood or body fluids of infected patients.
Each year, around 66,000 HBV, 16,000 HCV and 1,000 HIV infections were estimated to occur worldwide among HCWs - mostly in developing caused by all medical sharps.
Minimize risk where prevention or elimination is not possible.