Some of you are EPINet network facilities that share your data with us annually, but for those that aren’t – you’re welcome to view it as well. 

 

Our 2020 US EPINet data (needlesticks and mucocutaneous) was released last week and every year prior to putting it out on our website for the public to consume, we send a preview to our long-standing EPINet network health systems.  Below you’ll see a brief summary and note of thanks that we sent to them.

 

Please forward to anyone you think would be interested.

 

Thank you!

 

Amber

 

 

Amber H Mitchell, DrPH, MPH, CPH

President | Executive Director

Email | amber.mitchell@internationalsafetycenter.org

Web | www.internationalsafetycenter.org

 

 

From: Ginger Parker
Sent: Monday, July 26, 2021 7:26 PM
Subject: 2020 EPINet reports

 

Thank you for continuing to be commited to the safety and health of healthcare workers and for being part of our EPINet Network of Healthcare Facilities.

We are so grateful for you and your work.  Our EPINet network facilities continue to help us drive national awareness about the importance of incident and exposure surveillance for sharps injuries, needlesticks, and mucocutaneous (blood and body fluid) exposures.  During this critical time, based on experiences and data from our EPINet network facilities, we can help to shape and improve the national landscape to get us out of this pandemic, reduce ongoing endemic levels of HCV and HIV, and prepare for whatever emerging pathogen is ahead.

Thank you for continuing to participate in our surveillance network as a beacon of occupational and public health, protecting workers from exposure to bloodborne and infectious disease.

Here are some highlights from 2020 data:

  • 36.3% of nurses sustained all injuries; 33.6% of physicians
  • 20.7% of injuries occurred to workers downstream (non-users)
  • 25.9% were from skin injection with nearly a quarter (24.3%) from insulin needles, reflecting a growing diabetes epidemic
  • 4 years in a row, suture injuries were the most prevalent injury; 27.8%
  • 55.9% of injured employees indicated they were not using a safety device compared to 39.4% last year.  This is a very disappointing trend, especially when 43.3% are sutures without sharps injury prevention features, dreadfully impacting surgical teams
  • Half (49.9%) of all splashes and splatters of blood and body fluids are to nurses.
  • 89.1% of all blood and body fluid exposures are to the face/head and only 31% were wearing any kind of face PPE (surgical mask, protective eyewear, faceshield). 

Compared to all years past, 2020 is a drastic improvement in the use of PPE (~5-15%), but as we know from occupational COVID cases among healthcare workers, this isn’t nearly high enough.  Surprisingly, employees that are injured, especially with sutures, hypodermic syringes, and scalpels indicate they are using less of these with safety features than years past.

Some improvements were made compared to years past, however there is a great deal of progress to be made.  2020 marked the 20th anniversary of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act!  Don’t forget to use our 2020 Consensus Statement and Call to Action to help build your occupational sharps injury prevention programs.  We are here to help you improve and protect, however we can.  We are with you!

In mid-August, all data will be available HERE for the general public.

Best wishes, Gini

 

Ginger B. Parker, MBA

Vice-President | Chief Information Officer

International Safety Center

phone | +1.434.962.3470

email | ginger.parker@internationalsafetycenter.org

online | www.internationalsafetycenter.org