To assess the effect of implementing safety-engineered devices on percutaneous injury epidemiology, specifically on percutaneous injuries associated with a higher risk of blood-borne pathogen exposure.

Before-and-after intervention trial comparing 3-year preintervention (1998–2000) and 1-year postintervention (2001–2002) periods. Percutaneous injury data have been entered prospectively into CDC NaSH software since 1998.

A 427-bed, tertiary-care hospital in Manhattan.

All employees who reported percutaneous injuries during the study period.

A “safer-needle system,” composed of a variety of safety-engineered devices to allow for needle-safe IV delivery, blood collection, IV insertion, and intramuscular and subcutaneous injection, was implemented in February 2001.

The mean annual incidence of percutaneous injuries decreased from 34.08 per 1,000 full-time–equivalent employees preintervention to 14.25 postintervention (P < .001). Reductions in the average monthly number of percutaneous injuries resulting from both low-risk (P < .01) and high-risk (P was not significant) activities were observed. Nurses experienced the greatest decrease (74.5%, P < .001), followed by ancillary staff (61.5%, P = .03). Significant rate reductions were observed for the following activities: manipulating patients or sharps (83.5%, P < .001), collisions or contact with sharps (73.0%, P = .01), disposal-related injuries (21.41%, P = .001), and catheter insertions (88.2%, P < .001). Injury rates involving hollow-bore needles also decreased (70.6%, P < .001).

The implementation of safety-engineered devices reduced percutaneous injury rates across occupations, activities, times of injury, and devices. Moreover, intervention impact was observed when stratified by risk for blood-borne pathogen transmission.

To examine whether implementation of safety-engineered devices in 2001 had an effect on rates of percutaneous injury (PI) reported by HCWs.

Before-and-after intervention trial comparing 3-year preintervention (1998–2001) and 2-year postintervention (2001–2002) periods. PI data from anonymous, self-administered surveys were prospectively entered into CDC NaSH software.

A 427-bed, tertiary-care hospital in Manhattan.

HCWs who attended state-mandated training sessions and completed the survey (1,132 preintervention; 821 postintervention).

Implementation of a “safer-needle system” composed of various safety-engineered devices for needle-safe TV delivery-insertion, blood collection, and intramuscular-subcutaneous injection.

Preintervention, the overall annual rate of PIs self-reported on the survey was 36.5 per 100 respondents, compared with 13.9 per 100 respondents postintervention (P < .01). The annual rate of formally reported PIs decreased from 8.3 to 3.1 per 100 respondents (P < .01). Report rates varied by occupational group (P ≤ .02). The overall rate did not change between study periods (22.7% to 22.3%), although reporting improved among nurses (23.6% to 44.4%, P = .03) and worsened among building services staff (90.5% to 50%, P = .03). HCWs with greater numbers of Pis self-reported on the survey were less likely to formally report injuries (P < .01). The two most common reasons for nonreport (ie, thought injury was low risk or believed patient was low risk for blood-borne disease) did not vary from preintervention to postintervention.

Safety-engineered device implementation decreased rates of Pis formally reported and self-reported on the survey. However, this intervention, with concomitant intensive education, had varying effects on reporting behavior by occupation and a minimal effect on overall reporting rates.

To examine organizational factors and occupational characteristics associated with adherence to occupational safety guidelines recommending never recapping needles.

Mail surveys were conducted with healthcare workers (HCWs) and infection control professionals (ICPs).

The surveys were conducted at all non-federal general hospitals in Iowa, except one tertiary-care hospital. Survey data were linked to annual survey data of the American Hospital Association (AHA).

HCWs were sampled from statewide rosters of physicians, nurses, and laboratory workers in Iowa. Eligible HCWs worked in a setting and position in which they were likely to routinely handle needles. ICPs at all hospitals in the state were surveyed.

Ninety-nine ICPs responded (79% response rate). AHA data were available for all variables from 84 (85%) of the hospitals. Analyses were based on 1,454 HCWs who identified one of these hospitals as their primary hospital (70% response rate). Analyses were conducted using multiple logistic regression. Positive predictors of consistent adherence included infection control personnel hours per full-time–equivalent employee (odds ratio [OR], 1.03), frequency of standard precautions education (OR, 1.11), facilities providing personal protective equipment (OR, 1.82), facilities using needleless intravenous systems (OR, 1.42), and management support for safety (OR, 1.05). Negative predictors were use of “blood and body fluid precautions” isolation category (OR, 0.74) and increased job demands (OR, 0.90).

Healthcare organizations can improve staff safety by investing wisely in educational programs regarding approaches to minimize these risks, providing protective equipment, and eliminating the use of blood and body fluid precautions as an isolation policy.

To construct a single estimate of the number of percutaneous injuries sustained annually by healthcare workers (HCWs) in the United States.

Statistical analysis.

We combined data collected in 1997 and 1998 at 15 National Surveillance System for Health Care Workers (NaSH) hospitals and 45 Exposure Prevention Information Network (EPINet) hospitals. The combined data, taken as a sample of all U.S. hospitals, were adjusted for underreporting. The estimate of the number of percutaneous injuries nationwide was obtained by weighting the number of percutaneous injuries at each hospital by the number of admissions in all U.S. hospitals relative to the number of admissions at that hospital.

The estimated number of percutaneous injuries sustained annually by hospital-based HCWs was 384,325 (95% confidence interval, 311,091 to 463,922). The number of percutaneous injuries sustained by HCWs outside of the hospital setting was not estimated.

Although our estimate is smaller than some previously published estimates of percutaneous injuries among HCWs, its magnitude remains a concern and emphasizes the urgent need to implement prevention strategies. In addition, improved surveillance could be used to monitor injury trends in all healthcare settings and evaluate the impact of prevention interventions.

To determine the cost-effectiveness of substituting hepatitis A–B vaccine for hepatitis B vaccine when healthcare and public safety workers in the western United States are immunized to protect against occupational exposures to hepatitis B.

A cohort of 100,000 hypothetical healthcare and public safety workers from 11 western states with hepatitis A rates twice the national average.

A Markov model of hepatitis A was developed using estimates from U.S. government databases, published literature, and an expert panel. Added costs of hepatitis A–B vaccine were compared with savings from reduced hepatitis A treatment and work loss. Cost-effectiveness was expressed as the ratio of net costs to quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained.

Substituting hepatitis A–B vaccine would prevent 29,796 work-loss–days, 222 hospitalizations, 6 premature deaths, and the loss of 214 QALYs. Added vaccination costs of $5.4 million would be more than offset by $1.9 million and $6.1 million reductions in hepatitis A treatment and work loss costs, respectively. Cost-effectiveness improves as the time horizon is extended, from $232,600 per QALY after 1 year to less than $0 per QALY within 11 years. Estimates are most sensitive to community-wide hepatitis A rates and the degree to which childhood vaccination may reduce future rates.

For healthcare and public safety workers in western states, substituting hepatitis A–B vaccine for hepatitis B vaccine would reduce morbidity, mortality, and costs.

To evaluate infection control knowledge and practices, provide training on universal-standard precautions (USP), and improve infection control knowledge and practices among dentists.

Private and public dental offices in Vâlcea, Romania.

Information about the use of hepatitis B vaccine, knowledge of and training in USP, perceived risks of disease transmission, and infection control practices was gathered from a sample of dentists through interviews, direct observations, and a survey administered during a training session.

Interviews among dentists and direct observations of infection control practices revealed that resources were often scarce in public clinics; however, availability of supplies in private or public clinics often did not correlate with adherence to proper infection control. Of 125 registered dentists, 46 (37%) attended the session and completed the survey. Of these, 75% worked in public clinics, 40% in private practices, and a few in both. More than 50% believed that the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) was low in their patients compared with the Romanian population. Only 26% of dentists had received hepatitis B vaccine. Dentists reported a mean of six percutaneous injuries a year. Most (89%) reported that gloves were effective in preventing HBV transmission; 24% wore them for every patient. Most used dry heat sterilization; however, chemical disinfectants were also used.

Resources were limited, receipt of hepatitis vaccine was low, and infection control knowledge and practices varied. Training and education are needed regarding the importance of USP, hepatitis B vaccination, and alternative practices when resources are insufficient.

In August 2002, the Oklahoma State Department of Health received a report of six patients with unexplained hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection treated in the same pain remediation clinic. We investigated the outbreak's extent and etiology.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of clinic patients, including a serologic survey, interviews of infected patients, and reviews of medical records and staff infection control practices. Patients received outpatient pain remediation treatments one afternoon a week in a clinic within a hospital. Cases were defined as HCV or hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections among patients who reported no prior diagnosis or risk factors for disease or reported previous risk factors but had evidence of acute infection.

Of 908 patients, 795 (87.6%) were tested, and 71 HCV-infected patients (8.9%) and 31 HBV-infected patients (3.9%) met the case definition. Multiple HCV genotypes were identified. Significantly higher HCV infection rates were found among individuals treated after an HCV-infected patient during the same visit (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 6.2; 95% confidence interval [CI95], 2.4–15.8); a similar association was observed for HBV (AOR, 2.9; CI95, 1.3–6.5). Review of staff practices revealed the nurse anesthetist had been using the same syringe–needle to sequentially administer sedation medications to every treated patient each clinic day.

Reuse of needles–syringes was the mechanism for patient-to-patient transmission of HCV and HBV in this large nosocomial outbreak. Further education and stricter oversight of infection control practices may prevent future outbreaks.

To investigate a hepatitis C virus (HCV) outbreak in a hemodialysis unit and determine the source of transmission.

We have prospectively investigated the epidemiology of hemodialysis-related HCV infection in a single unit since 1989. In September 2000, acute hepatitis C (AH-C) was diagnosed in 5 patients by alanine aminotransferase elevation and HCV genotype lb viremia without antibody to HCV. We surveyed the epidemiologic situation and performed polymerase chain reaction sequence analysis of the HCV 5'-noncoding (5'NC) region in the patients for comparison with 9 patients with chronic HCV genotype 1b viremia.

Sequence analysis of the 5'NC region showed the consistency in the 5 independent clones from each AH-C patient and those from each chronic HCV viremia patient and no quasispecies over time in the clones of any of 14 analyzed patients. All AH-C patients had the same sequencing of the 6 variations in the region with the only other patient. A saline ampoule, used for heparin solution during hemodialysis, had a recap function. It was difficult to determine whether the ampoule was new or had already been used. The source-patient often underwent hemodialysis before the AH-C patients and most of their hemodialysis-related medicine was prepared during the source-patient's treatment. These findings suggested a high possibility that the AH-C patients shared a single heparin–saline solution ampoule contaminated by HCV from the source-patient.

Nosocomial HCV infection occurred as a result of poor infection control practice when a patient with chronic HCV viremia received treatment prior to other hemodialysis patients.

To evaluate the immune status of healthcare workers (HCWs) against measles, rubella, mumps, and varicella in Japan, and to promote an adequate vaccination program among HCWs.

University of Tokyo Hospital.

Eight hundred seventy-seven HCWs.

Serologic screening for measles, rubella, mumps, and varicella was performed on HCWs. Antibodies against measles, rubella, and mumps were detected using hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay ($4.20 per test). If serum was negative by HI assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (EIA) was performed ($12.60 per test). Anti-varicella antibodies were detected by EIA only.

Among tested HCWs, 98.5%, 90.4%, 85.8%, and 97.2% had immunity to measles, rubella, mumps, and varicella, respectively. All those born before 1970 were seropositive for measles. However, individuals susceptible to rubella, mumps, and varicella were present in all age groups. The sensitivities and negative predictive values of HI assay compared with EIA were 86.6% and 11.3% for measles, 99.1% and 92.2% for rubella, and 47.8% and 24.1% for mumps, respectively. For measles and mumps, prevaccination screening by HI assay in combination with EIA led to significant savings compared with EIA only. In contrast, it was estimated that prevaccination screening using only HI assay would be more economical for rubella.

Aggressive screening and vaccination of susceptible HCWs was essential regardless of age. Prevaccination serologic screening using a combination of HI assay and EIA was more economical for measles and mumps.

To determine the relationship between immunity and a history of chickenpox based on a self-administered questionnaire.

We investigated immunity to varicella-zoster virus in a cohort of newly recruited employees with different job categories and different nationalities using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay IgG.

There were 1,058 new recruits. Of these, 890 (84%) were immune and 168 (16%) were susceptible. The susceptibility rate was 23% (n = 77) for Asian, 15% (n = 14) for South African, 13% (n = 66) for Middle Eastern, and 9% (n = 11) for Western employees. Physicians were more likely to be immune (93%) than were nurses (85%), medical technicians (75%), or administrative clerks (84%). Seropositivity was not affected by age or gender. The positive predictive value of a history of chickenpox for the seropositivity was 89% (511 of 574); the negative predictive value was 22% (105 of 484). History of chickenpox had a sensitivity of 57% (511 of 890) and a specificity of 63% (105 of 168).

The varicella-zoster virus seroprevalence among new employees was low, posing an important risk to existing employees and patients. Positive or negative history of chickenpox was an unreliable indicator of susceptibility among healthcare workers of different nationalities. Serologic screening of all employees and vaccination of those susceptible was recommended.