GLOVE USAGE AND REPORTING OF NEEDLESTICK INJURIES BY JUNIOR HOSPITAL MEDICAL STAFF

The use of gloves when conducting invasive procedures and the reportin g of needlestick injuries have been strongly encouraged. Despite this, neither practice appears to be universal. In order to determine the r ates of glove usage and needlestick injury reporting, we conducted a s urvey of junior doctors in three hospitals in the UK. Of the 190 respo ndents, the majority rarely wore gloves for venesection, insertion of intravenous cannulas or arterial blood gas sampling. For more major pr ocedures (insertion of central venous lines, insertion of thoracostomy tubes, suturing) gloves were invariably worn. Only 17.5% of needlesti ck injuries were reported. The rates of glove usage and needlestick in jury reporting were lower than previous studies have demonstrated in N orth America. Surgeons suffered the most needlestick injuries and were the least likely to report them. The low reporting rate may have seri ous implications, particularly in view of the new Government guideline s on needlestick injuries which involve HIV-infected blood. By failing to use gloves and report needlestick injuries, junior doctors, in par ticular surgeons, are placing themselves and patients at increased ris k of blood-borne transmissible diseases.