Needlestick injuries are a known risk to health care workers, especially nurses, but the actual number of occurrences can only be estimated. Methods of reducing needlestick injuries have been available for years, but action by federal agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Food and Drug Administration and through legislation has been slow. Although OSHA’s newest regulations mandate the use of safer medical devices, recording of needlestick injuries is still not mandatory. Therefore, accurate data are not yet available to document the baseline and assess the progress of interventions.
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