PubMed · 6902097
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B Slaney. 1980. Saving lives at work.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6902097/
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In a deregulated market characterised by increasing competitiveness and improved conditions, care in assessing proposals in additional disability benefits will take on an even more significant role. The assessment has to be based on overall analysis of the moral and objective risk. This entails risk assessment of financial, professional, economic and medical factors, and should also include experience gained from the specific area of benefits involved. In terms of getting closer to our clients, the possibilities of limiting risk should be offered to an increasing extent on an individual, transparent and differentiated basis. Despite every effort to exercise caution, the time factor, i.e. the speed required to issue policies, should not be forgotten.
Surgical and obstetric HCWs and epidemiologists will benefit from working together to describe the frequency and circumstances of percutaneous injuries in operating and delivery rooms. Rates of percutaneous injury vary among institutions, and attending and resident surgeons are among those at greatest risk for injury. Gynecologic surgery appears to have one of the highest rates of injury of the surgical specialties, and rates of injury vary by procedure within a given specialty. Suture needles cause the majority of injuries. Certain actions such as holding tissue while suturing or cutting are associated with a higher risk of injury. Many percutaneous injuries appear to be preventable. Epidemiologic data can be used to develop strategies based on the industrial hygiene model to reduce the incidence of percutaneous injury and to collect and disseminate data on the efficacy of new preventive measures. Potentially safer instruments and suture needles, technique modification strategies, and personal protective equipment such as cut-resistant gloves and finger protective strips are now available. Scientific assessment is needed of these and other new measures to determine whether they will decrease the risk of percutaneous injury, be acceptable to users, be cost effective, and avoid adverse consequences to patients or HCWs.
Anesthesia personnel routinely perform procedures that put them at risk for contact with blood and body fluids. Some of these exposures are to skin and mucous membranes; many are percutaneous injuries associated with the frequent use of needled devices. The high risk in anesthesia procedures for contact with infected body fluids is associated with a high incidence rate of actual infection with bloodborne pathogens.