CDC Announces New Workbook to Protect Healthcare Workers From Sharps Injuries
WASHINGTON -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today a new tool to protect healthcare personnel from injuries caused by needlesticks and other sharp medical instruments. Such injuries can lead to diseases, such as hepatitis B and C and AIDS. These diseases may be caused when a healthcare worker is accidentally stuck by needles or other devices that are contaminated with the blood of an infected patient.
The CDC estimates that hospital workers sustain more than 1,000 injuries a day from contaminated needles and other sharp devices used during the delivery of patient care. CDC data suggest that at least 65 percent of these injuries are preventable by using safer devices and by taking appropriate safety measures.
The CDC workbook, titled "Sharps Safety: Be Sharp. Be Safe," promotes a comprehensive prevention program in the healthcare setting. A major goal is to heighten awareness among frontline healthcare personnel of specific steps they can take to protect themselves from sharps injuries.
"Protecting healthcare personnel is a CDC priority. Safer devices play an important role in preventing injuries to healthcare personnel, but they aren't the complete solution," said CDC Director Julie L. Gerberding. "We need to create a culture of safety in the work environment to make sure healthcare organizations promote and support sharps injury prevention.
The prevention program targets both healthcare administrators and frontline workers.
"The cost of these injuries to the healthcare system and to healthcare personnel can be extensive," said Dr. Denise Cardo, director of CDC's program to promote healthcare quality. "Treating a healthcare worker to prevent disease from a needlestick injury can cost $500 to $3,000. In addition, there can be huge emotional toll associated with the fear and anxiety about getting a life-threatening disease from a needlestick.
The CDC workbook, available to all healthcare facilities, provides a practical plan for preventing injuries from needlesticks and other sharp devices. Once implemented, the program should lead to improved workplace safety for healthcare personnel. In addition, the strategies should help healthcare facilities meet certain aspects of accrediting organization requirements as they apply to healthcare worker safety and federal and state regulatory standards.
For more information on CDC's Sharps Safety workbook go to: www.cdc.gov/sharpssafety
Source: CDC
CDC protects people's health and safety by preventing and controlling diseases and injuries; enhances health decisions by providing credible information on critical health issues; and promotes healthy living through strong partnerships with local, national, and international organizations.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
CDC Urges Vigilance: New Recommendations for Monitoring and Testing H5N1 Exposures
July 11th 2025With avian influenza A(H5N1) infections surfacing in both animals and humans, the CDC has issued updated guidance calling for aggressive monitoring and targeted testing to contain the virus and protect public health.
IP LifeLine: Layoffs and the Evolving Job Market Landscape for Infection Preventionists
July 11th 2025Infection preventionists, once hailed as indispensable during the pandemic, now face a sobering reality: budget pressures, hiring freezes, and layoffs are reshaping the field, leaving many IPs worried about their future and questioning their value within health care organizations.
A Helping Hand: Innovative Approaches to Expanding Hand Hygiene Programs in Acute Care Settings
July 9th 2025Who knew candy, UV lights, and a college kid in scrubs could double hand hygiene adherence? A Pennsylvania hospital’s creative shake-up of its infection prevention program shows that sometimes it takes more than soap to get hands clean—and keep them that way.
