What should healthcare workers do to prevent needle-stick injuries?

Using safety-engineered needles and refraining from recapping used needles is the best practice for preventing needle-stick injuries. Safety-engineered needles are designed with built-in safety features, such as shielding mechanisms or retractable tips that minimize exposure to the sharp end after use. This greatly reduces the risk of accidental needle-stick injuries during procedures or while discarding the needle.

Additionally, the practice of not recapping used needles is vital, as recapping can lead to accidental punctures. Many needle-stick injuries occur while attempting to recap a used needle, which creates a significant hazard. By ensuring that needles are disposed of immediately in an appropriate sharps container, healthcare workers significantly decrease the risk of both needle-stick injuries and the potential transmission of bloodborne pathogens.

Other approaches, like using standard needles for all procedures or manually transferring used needles to a sharps container, do not prioritize safety in handling needles that are known to pose a risk. Wearing gloves without changing them between patients does not address the fundamental issue of needle safety and can lead to contamination and infection transmission.