Needlestick injuries in residency
Quick View. Aug. 20, 2007.
By their fifth year, 99% of surgical residents have had a needlestick injury, and 53% reported these injuries involved a high-risk patient.
| Year of training |
Residents surveyed |
Residents with needlesticks |
Needlesticks per resident (mean) |
| All years |
699 |
582 (83%) |
3.8 |
| First year |
221 |
141 (64%) |
1.5 |
| Second year |
141 |
125 (89%) |
3.7 |
| Third |
156 |
146 (94%) |
4.1 |
| Fourth |
102 |
93 (91%) |
5.3 |
| Fifth |
78 |
77 (99%) |
7.7 |
Despite the risk, 51% of surgical residents did not report these injuries, which delayed or prevented treatment.
Source: New England Journal of Medicine, June 28
Back to top.
Copyright 2007 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
