Needlestick Injuries: Prevention + Protocol

Needlestick injuries have been cropping up again in the last few months. These injuries are considered “occupational hazards” in dentistry—but should they be? Why is it happening? What’s the contributing cause? In this episode of Talking With The Toothcop, Andrea and I talk about this costly “never event” and how to best prevent it.

Outline of This Episode

[0:52] The protocol with needlestick Injuries
[5:25] Coordinating testing with patients
[8:20] Annual Sharps Evaluation + Usage
[10:59] Live OSHA Safety Coordinator Training

The high cost of needlestick injuries

The CDC came out with some statistics that said the average needlestick injury costs $700–$750. That’s a load of crap. If you can’t get a negative test from the source patient, the employee must be treated as though an infection occurred. The post-exposure treatment includes taking costly antiviral medications.

If a hygienist slices their fingers open or someone gets poked by a root tip, you have to ask the source patient to get a blood test. But OSHA doesn’t outline who pays for the patient’s blood draw. I recently helped an office with a patient that didn’t want to get a blood draw. I followed up to understand what her concerns were. Turns out, she didn’t mind doing the blood test—she just couldn’t afford it. So we arranged transportation and the practice paid for the blood test. It saved a lot of headache—and medication usage—for the employee.

Andrea points out that the majority of people understand that you’re human and make mistakes. They’re willing to do the right thing and are reasonable. You just have to be honest. Some of the recent incidents have involved pediatric patients. It’s uncomfortable to have to ask a parent to take a child for a Hepatitis B or HIV test but it’s a conversation you have to have.

Start taking preventative measures

While it’s considered an occupational hazard, a needlestick injury is a “never event” that should never happen. Sharps containers should be located as close as feasible to the point of use. One simple thing that could be implemented is having the doctor break down their own needle. At that point, the odds of a staff getting stuck with a needle go down to almost zero. But a lot of dentists would rather have their staff do it for them.

Proper sharps usage is imperative

It’s clearly defined under the bloodborne pathogen standard that dental offices must use sharps with engineered sharps injury protection (SESIPs). These needles have a built-in safety mechanism that reduces exposure. There are only two products that meet this threshold. One is the Verena SimpleCAP. The other is the Septodont Ultra Safety Plus XL Safety Syringe.

We recommend doing a yearly sharps training to educate your staff on how to properly use needles. Make sure all non-management clinical staff that works with these needles participates in the annual evaluation. Keep those records with your OSHA training records.

Resources & People Mentioned

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