Needlestick and Sharps Injury Facts: The Case for Needlestick Injury Prevention An estimated 600,000 to 800,000 needlestick and other percutaneous injuries among U.S. health care workers occur annually.1   At an average U.S. hospital, workers incur approximately 30 needlestick injuries per 100 beds per year.1   Studies show that nurses sustain the majority of these injuries and that as many as one-third of all sharps injuries have been reported to be related to the disposal process.2   One out of every seven U.S. healthcare workers is accidentally stuck by a contaminated sharp every year.3   It is believed that only one out of three needlesticks are even reported.3   As a result of sharps injuries, more than three-dozen U.S. healthcare workers a year contract HIV, two thousand workers a year become infected with hepatitis C, and 400 contract hepatitis B.3   The CDC estimates that 62 to 88 percent of sharps injuries can potentially be prevented by the use of safer medical devices.2   Needlestick injuries are preventable. Over 80% of needlestick injuries could be prevented with the use of safer needle devices.4   Less than 15% of U.S. hospitals use safer needle devices and systems.4   Needlesticks occur because dangerous equipment is used in fast-paced, stressful and often understaffed facilities.5   In general, passive features are more effective in preventing needlesticks than devices that rely on active safety design.5   Preventing Needlestick Injuries in Health Care Settings, NIOSH Alert, 11/1999. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). International Sharps Injury Prevention Society (ISIPS). Nursing Facts: Needlestick Injury, The American Nurses Association 2002. Needle Points, An AFSCME Guide to Sharps Safety, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, 1/2002. Copyright ©   2002 B. Braun Medical Inc.   All rights reserved.