title: Phlebotomy practices/needles stick injuries/hepatitis B status/among interns in a Dublin hospital.
abstract: Needlestick injury is the most important risk event for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B Virus (HBV) transmission to health-care workers. We examined phlebotomy practices, the frequency of needle stick injuries, the reporting of such injuries and hepatitis B status among interns in St James's Hospital during a six month period. This study took the form of a questionnaire. The response rate was 100%. 72% had at least one needlestick injury during this time period, 23% had injuries from known HIV sero-positive or hepatitis B surface antigen positive patients, less than 5% of all injuries were reported and only 41% of interns were definitely hepatitis B immune. The majority (77%) resheated needles by hand.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genitourinary Medicine, St James's Hospital, Dublin.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gaffney
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mulcahy
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational; D001815:Bloodletting; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D007396:Internship and Residency; D007494:Ireland; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens