Maqbool Alam.
Needle stick injuries in health care workers.
J Coll Physicians Surg Pak Jan ;12(9):567-1.

Health care workers (HCWs) who have occupational exposure to blood and other potential infectious materials are at increased risk for acquiring blood-borne infections. There are many blood-borne diseases but hepatitis due to hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are of primary significance to health care workers. Every day thousands of health care workers in the developing nations including Pakistan are accidentally stuck by needles. Health care workers from all disciplines are prone to receive needle stick injuries including surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, laboratory technicians, cleaning staff and housekeeping staff, etc. This article briefly describes the biohazards of needle stick injuries, how needle injuries occur in the work place, primary preventive strategies and post- exposure prophylaxis. This is a review article.

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