NEEDLESTICKS IN MEDICAL-STUDENTS IN HOSPITALS

The incidence of needlesticks and the effect of experience and other p ersonal characteristics on the risk of needlesticks in medical student s are unknown. Eighty-nine medical students were given a self-administ ered questionnaire. The questionnaire was completed by 86 students, an d there were 91 sticks in 43 students. The incidence of needlesticks w as 5.8/1000 procedures on the first rotation and 0.1/1000 during the s econd 4-month period (relative risk, 6.5, with 95% confidence interval (CI) of 3.4-125; P < 0.001). Personal characteristics were not associ ated With needlesticks except for tension felt while drawing blood and accident proneness. Those who were stuck during the first rotation we re more likely to be stuck subsequently (odds ratio, 9.0, with 95% CI of 1-422; P < 0.05). We conclude that experience decreases the risk fo r needlesticks and therefore effective instructional intervention may have the biggest impact during the first medical student ward experien ce. Emphasis may have to be placed on those students who are accident prone or have been stuck in the past. Further studies are warranted to substantiate our findings and to test the effectiveness of various in terventional approaches.