title: The incidence and reporting of sharps exposure among medical students, orthopedic residents, and faculty at one institution.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the incidence of sharps injuries among medical students, orthopedic residents/fellows, and orthopedic faculty at one institution and to determine the rate of reporting exposures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey. Surveys were completed by 44% (53/120) of medical students, 76% (23/30) of residents/fellows, and 56% (17/30) of full-time faculty.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical students, orthopedic surgery residents/fellows, full-time academic orthopedic surgery faculty.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-eight percent of medical students, 83% of residents/fellows, and 100% of faculty had been exposed to a sharps injury at some point in their career; 42% of residents/fellows had experienced a sharps exposure within the past year. The most common single instrument responsible for sharps injuries among all groups was the solid-bore needle; students and residents were significantly more likely than faculty to have a sharps injury from a solid-bore needle than all other devices combined (p = 0.04). Medical students were more likely to ignore the exposure than residents/fellows (p = 0.004) or faculty (p = 0.036). Only 12.5% of medical students followed all the steps of the postexposure protocol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sharps exposures occur among orthopedic surgeons and their trainees. Interventions are needed to increase safety among residents and medical students. Further research should evaluate factors suppressing medical student reporting of sharps exposures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Johnathan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.forename: Jonathan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Dattilo
authors.forename: Dawn M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Laporte
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004282:Documentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D009339:Needles; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009985:Orthopedics / Q000193:education; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Patient Care; Practice-Based Learning and Improvement; Systems-Based Practice; medical student; needlestick; orthopedic surgery; resident; sharps