Are We Getting The Point? Needlestick Injuries - An Ongoing Problem

The pattern of glove perforation using hollow needles is unknown and the incidence, using sensitive electronic methods has not been described. We wished to identify the glove perforation rate following the use of hollow needles in our Emergency Department. Two hundred and eighty-nine gloves were collected over three months. These gloves were electronically tested and compared with one hundred unused control gloves. There were 28/298 perforations (9.7%) vs 1/100 in the control group (P<0.01 Fisher's exact probability). Most perforations were located on the thumb and index fingers. There were no needlestick injuries reported during this period. The glove perforation rate following hollow needle use in our Emergency Department is higher than previously reported. The pattern of perforation suggests injury by the needle held in the dominant hand.