Needlestick Injury Treatment in Las Vegas

What is a needlestick injury?

Needlestick injuries refer to wounds caused by accidental puncture of a needle into the skin. People who work with needle equipment such as hypodermic syringes, scalpels, and lancets are at risk for this type of injury.

In the US, needlestick injuries make up more than 80% of all percutaneous exposure incidents. Agricultural workers, food preparers, tattoo artists, laborers, and law enforcement are at increased risk of needlestick injury, but almost anyone is at risk; Better to be safe than sorry.

Frequently asked questions by our clients at SNOHC, what you should know, and where you need to go in this situation are explained here.

What are the hazards of needlestick injury at work?

Such lesions lead to the transmission of infectious diseases, especially blood-borne viruses. These viruses include the following:

• AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Herpes

In addition to viruses, needlestick injuries can transmit bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms such as:

• Blastomycosis
• Brucellosis
• Cryptococcosis
• Diphtheria
• Cutaneous gonorrhea
• Malaria
• Mycobacteriosis
• Mycoplasma caviae
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Sporotrichosis
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Streptococcus pyogenes
• Syphilis
• Toxoplasmosis
• Tuberculosis

 

Puncturing the skin by an infected needle can cause dangerous fluid to be injected into the body through the skin. In some conditions, there is a possibility of injecting dangerous drugs and infected blood or fluids. Keep in mind that even injecting a small amount of infectious fluid can lead to the spread of infection in the body.

 

How do needlestick injuries occur?

Needlestick injuries can occur at any stage of use, disassembly, or disposal of the needle. The likelihood of this injury depends on several factors, including the following:

• Equipment design
• Nature of the procedure
• Working conditions
• Staff experience
• Recapping and disposal

What should you do after a needlestick injury?

If you have injured yourself with a used needle, you should consider the following:

• Let the wound bleed and keep it under running water
• Wash the wound with enough soap and running water
• Do not scrub the wound when you are washing it
• Avoid sucking the wound
• Then dry the wound and cover it with a waterproof plaster

After going through these steps, you should go to the Occupational Health service.

Your healthcare professional must first assess the risk. So you may be asked when and how this injury occurred. Your blood sample will probably be taken to check for hepatitis B, C, or HIV.

If the chance of infection is low, you will not need treatment. Otherwise, your doctor may consider one of the following:

• Antibiotic treatment
• vaccination
• Treatment to prevent HIV

Your doctor will consider post-exposure prophylaxis if there is a possibility of infections such as HIV. If there is a possibility of exposure to the HIV virus, the use of anti-HIV medications within 72 hours is recommended. This method is called post-exposure prophylaxis.

 

Needlestick precautions

There are some convenient precautions you can take to prevent needlesticks. If you are an employer, you should:

• Set up a standard bloodborne pathogen management program.
• Whenever possible, replace the needle with safer alternatives.
• Use needle devices and equipment with safety features.
• Purchase sharps containers to facilitate the transfer into clients’ homes.
• Learn about all sharps-related injuries.
• Enable post-exposure medical evaluations.

In case you are an employee, you should:

• Use safer alternatives instead of needles
• Try not to recap or bend contaminated needles
• Carry containers with these features to clients’ homes:
  • Puncture-resistant
  • Leak-proof sharps
  • Standard-labeled
• Do not suppose such containers will be at the clients’ homes.
• Learn the safe handling/disposal of needles before use.
• Put needles and containers out of the reach of children and pets.
• Transport the sharps containers safely to prevent spilling.
• Take standard precautions, general hygiene practices, and infection prevention.
• Participate in the bloodborne pathogens training program.
• Help your employer to choose devices with safety features.
• Use the safety devices.
• Inform your employer immediately after the sharps injury.

 

Needlestick injury treatment in Las Vegas

In the case of Needle Stick Injury, the SNOHC team of experts in Las Vegas will take an emergency measure to ensure that they can stop the spread of the disease. After taking a complete medical history, professionals will conduct different tests to find out whether any disease has spread in the body or not. Meanwhile, they will also inject medications in the body that will stop any possible disease-causing agents depending on the condition of the injury and the environment where the injury happened. Needlestick injury is not serious, but it can transfer blood-borne diseases. It can place people exposed at increased risk of infection from disease-causing pathogens, such as HIV virus, hepatitis C, and hepatitis B virus.

 

Frequently Asked Questions about Needlestick Injury Treatment

What should you do after a needlestick injury?

Wash the wound with soap and running water. Then put on a good dressing and call your doctor right away.

What tests are done after a needlestick?

• HIV testing.
• Hepatitis B testing.
• Hepatitis C testing

How do needlestick injuries occur?

Needlestick injuries can occur at any stage of use, disassembly, or disposal of the needle