Every year, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health releases a report with a thorough examination of sharp injuries for hospital workers in a given year.  The report is comprehensive, totaling the numer of sharps injuries, who sustained them, in what context, and what type of device caused the injury.

This week, they released the full finding from the Massachusetts Sharps Injury Surveillance System for 2005.  Some of the highlings include:

• A total of 3,265 reported 1sharps injuries occurred in 2005, with 86% of injuries sustained by hospital workers
• Nurses sustained 36% of the injuries (1,188) and physicians sustained 35% (1,135)
• Of injuries to physicians, half of those occurred to interns and residents
• In 41% of cases, the incident occurred during use of the device, but 45% of the time during the more dangerous time after use of the device.

 

>> Read the full report, and let us know your reactions below.