Management of sharps injuries in the healthcare setting

Sharps injuries are common in the healthcare setting. Between 2004 and 2013 a total of 4830 healthcare associated occupational exposures to body fluid were reported in the UK, 71% of these for percutaneous injuries.1 As the reporting system is likely to have recorded only cases with an important exposure, the actual burden of sharps injuries is likely to be much higher. Healthcare workers need to be familiar with immediate management both for themselves if they become injured and for assisting injured colleagues. Many healthcare workers do not know how to manage a sharps injury,2 particularly if this occurs out of hours. This review presents a summary of the immediate management of sharps injuries and outlines the risk assessment and management strategies to prevent the transmission of HIV, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus.