Profession
Needlestick injuries in residency
■ An occasional snapshot of current facts and trends in medicine.
Quick View. Posted Aug. 20, 2007
By their fifth year, 99% of surgical residents have had a needlestick injury, and 53% reported these injuries involved a high-risk patient.
| Year of training | Residents surveyed | Residents with needlesticks | Needlesticks per resident (mean) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All years | 699 | 582 (83%) | 3.8 |
| First year | 221 | 141 (64%) | 1.5 |
| Second year | 141 | 125 (89%) | 3.7 |
| Third | 156 | 146 (94%) | 4.1 |
| Fourth | 102 | 93 (91%) | 5.3 |
| Fifth | 78 | 77 (99%) | 7.7 |
Despite the risk, 51% of surgical residents did not report these injuries, which delayed or prevented treatment.
Source: New England Journal of Medicine, June 28












