Infection Control with Needles Reina Ligeralde DEH 13 Fall 2007
Slide 2 Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care
Settings Percutaneous injuries among dental health-care personnel
usually Occur outside the patient's mouth Are caused by syringe
needles, burs, laboratory knives, and other sharp instruments
Involve limited amounts of blood Slide 3 Needle Stick Injury Facts
Estimated 600,000-800,000 needle stick injuries occur annually
involving contaminated needles Others estimate that a needle stick
injury is reported every 30 seconds over 1 million such cases per
year Resulting diseases: hepatitis, AIDS, diphtheria, typhus,
herpes, malaria, tuberculosis, spotted fever, syphilis, gonorrhea
Slide 4 Health Care Workers Annually,12,000 healthcare workers
contract hepatitis Up to 300 of them die as a result of an
accidental needle stick 18,000 are infected with hepatitis, HIV,
and other blood-borne diseases 86% of all occupationally related
infectious disease transmissions result from accidental needle
sticks CDC estimates 62-88% of sharps injuries can potentially be
prevented by the use of safer medical devices Slide 5 Methods to
Reduce the Risk of Blood Contacts Use of standard precautions Use
of devices with features engineered to prevent sharps injuries
Modifications of work practices Slide 6 Standard Precautions Use of
PPEs Other protective equipment e.g. finger guards while suturing
Slide 7 Engineering Controls Often incorporate safer designs of
instruments and devices e.g. self-sheathing anesthetic needles
Slide 8 Self-Sheathing Safety Needle A. Syringe with protective
sheath over the needle B. As the injection is made, the sheath
slides back. C. After injection, the sheath returns to cover the
needle and protect the clinician during disposal. Slide 9
Traditional Injection System vs. Safer Injection Systems A. Before
use B. After use Slide 10 Work-Practice Controls Involve aspirating
anesthetic syringes Entail used needles never manipulated by using
both hands Include used needles never directed toward any part of
the body Slide 11 More Work-Practice Controls A one-handed scoop
technique A mechanical device designed for holding the needle cap
to facilitate one-handed recapping Should be employed for recapping
needles between uses and before disposal: Slide 12 Even More
Work-Practice Controls Never bend, break, or shear needles before
disposal. Avoid passing a syringe with an unsheathed needle. Recap
needles before attempting to remove them from nondisposable
aspirating syringes. Slide 13 Work-Practice Controls Last but not
Least Dispose syringes and needles in appropriate containers that
are: Closable Leakproof Puncture-resistant Located as close as
feasible to where the items were used Slide 14 References
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwR/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5217a 1.htm
http://www.needle-stick-syringe-
injury.com/pgs/needle-stick-facts.html Miller, C.H., & Palenik,
C.J. (2005). Infection control & management of hazardous
materials for the dental team (3rd ed.). St. Louis: Elsevier Mosby.
Wilkins, E.M. (2005). Clinical practice of the dental hygienist
(9th ed.). Baltimore: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
