Needle-Stick Injuries Essay

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) are blood borne diseases transmitted through coming in direct contact with an infected person 's blood. Canadians who are intravenous drug users (IDUs) have a higher than normal risk for coming into contact with both diseases.

Sharing of needles used by injection drug users contributes heavily to the spread of blood-borne diseases, accounting for almost one third of new HIV infections outside sub-Saharan Africa (Ball, 2007). Various studies support that blood-borne disease transmission and contraction are strongly linked to injection drug use. A study conducted by Semaan et al. that analyzed data of 10,301 persons who inject drugs in revealed that 32% had shared syringes during the 12 months prior (Semaan et al., 2011). A second study involving 309 injection drug users found HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C prevalence of 42.4%, 80.9%, and 74.1%, respectively. The study also revealed that 63.8% of the participants engaged in indirect sharing practices within six months prior.

Intravenous drug users are some of the individuals most susceptible for contracting and transmitting blood-borne diseases such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and hepatitis C. In Canada, there was an estimated 71,300 cases of HIV at the end of 2011 with an incidence of approximately 2,250 to 4,100 cases. IDUs account for 13.7% of Canadians living with HIV. Prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HVC) is currently

Hepatitis C virus is considered 10 times more infectious than HIV when comparing transmission by blood to blood contact (Wilkinson

The use of contaminated needles can also transmit HIV. “The risk of HIV transmission needs to be addressed in two very different populations—healthcare workers and

"They give sterile needles in return to sullied or utilized needles to build access to sterile needles and to expel tainted syringes from dissemination in the group." (Vlahov). Needle trade has turned out to be disputable reasonable discussion point all through the country. The projects made a way to deal with address the expanded rate of contaminations. In numerous states, these projects are prohibited, because of contradicted by general wellbeing pioneers and

Needle exchange programs are considered in the public’s eye as controversial topic. The major public fears involve that these needle exchange programs will propagate the drug problem even more. Another fear is the spread of diseases such as HIV that will spread more rapidly than before among users. These two issues unify where the use of intravenous drugs not only creates disease risk from injection with tainted needles, but also increases risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases through promiscuous sex, possibly related to drug use. However, with the local health departments allowed to offer needle exchange programs give access to drug users to prevent contaminating the major population. "A

Needle Sharps injuries (NSI) in Australia. What can do about better safety practices to reduce injury to healthcare providers

It is encouraging to know “the fact that no instances of syringe lending or borrowing were observed among individuals who reported performing all injections within the safe injection site...” (M.W. Tyndall et al.). Drug users that go to InSite for their injections are less likely to lend a syringe to someone else. Ninety-four percent of frequent safe injection site users refused to lend out a syringe in the last six months compared to the eighty-nine percent of infrequent users. This is because InSite users benefit from safer injecting education. Approximately eighty percent of safe injection site users practice safer injection (i.e. reusing syringes less often, injecting indoors, and using clean water and equipment). This is also because of learning about safer injecting. The transmission of blood-borne diseases has been reduced and will continue to if more safe injection sites are opened in the Lower Mainland.

Compared to other members of the community of health care nurses are at a significant risk of needle stick injury because of their frequent performance with vein punctures and taking care of patients suffering from different infectious diseases. Needles may cause injury to you or to someone else if they were not properly discarded after use and can also cause an injury if you do not use gloves to protect your hands while you work with needles. If a medical professional gets stuck by a needle, then they need to wash the area thoroughly with soap and contact their healthcare provider as soon as

The most common vector for the virus to enter the body is through sexual transmission, either by anal, oral, or vaginal sex. The highest risk activity is anal sex, as the mucous membrane inflammation facilitates HIV transmission (McCutchan, 2013). However, other modes such as sharing needles when injecting drugs, tiny cuts or sores on a person’s vagina, mouth, or penis, or simply the birth of a child by an infected mother, can all spread the disease to other

Clean needles are very helpful to reduce to amount of blood- borne diseases that are transferred from needle sharing. According to Sullivan (2004), sharing dirty needles has become the primary way of AIDS cases in New Jersey. Drug addicts will reuse or share needles more than once which is how diseases such as AIDS are transferred.

Each year, 385,000 needlestick injuries and other sharps related injuries are sustained by hospital based healthcare professionals; which equates to an average of almost 1,000 sharps injuries per day in the U.S. Accidental needlestick and sharps not only cause injuries, but they also carry a major risk for transmission of blood borne infections. Although virtually all healthcare workers are at risk of harm from occupational exposures such as these, the Center for Disease Control notes that nurses sustain approximately half of all needlestick injuries. While there are several precautions and regulations implemented on the administration and disposal of sharps, many

The environment can act as a reservoir for infectious virus and so HCV transmission can occur by inapparent percutaneous exposures from contaminated reused needles and syringes, infusion bags, multiple-use medication vials, tattooing etc (Alter, 2007; Kamili et al., 2007; Alter, 2011).

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. There are currently five known viruses that cause can hepatitis (Microbiology, 10e). The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is transmitted through contact with the blood of an infected person; however, it is now more commonly spread among IV drug users that share needles. Healthcare workers are also at risk for contracting HCV, but with standard precautions, the risk is low. “Prior to 1992, some people acquired the HCV infection from transfusions of blood or blood products. Since 1992, all blood products have been screened for HCV, and cases of HCV due to blood transfusion now are extremely rare. HCV can be passed from mother to unborn child. Approximately 4 out of every 100 infants born to HCV-positive mothers