Needle stick injury most commonly occurs during which of the following procedure?

AIIMS Delhi NO - 2018

Fundamental of Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: AIIMS Delhi NO - 2018

Explanation

Recapping a used needle is a high-risk and prohibited practice that is historically one of the most common causes of needlestick injuries.
The act involves placing a cap back onto a contaminated sharp, where a miss can easily lead to a puncture wound in the hand holding the cap.
Health and safety guidelines universally recommend against recapping and advocate for the immediate disposal of sharps into a proper container.
Studies confirm that a significant percentage of injuries occur during improper disposal, with recapping being a primary contributor.

Option A: While injuries can occur during IM injections, they are less frequent than those caused by post-procedure handling errors like recapping. The risk during injection is often related to patient movement rather than a flawed procedural step by the healthcare worker.
Option C: Similar to IM injections, giving an IV injection carries a risk of injury, but it is not the most common cause. Mishandling IV lines and needles during setup or removal can cause injury, but the specific act of recapping is cited as a more frequent cause.
Option D: Crushing needles is an obsolete, dangerous, and prohibited practice. Because it is not a standard procedure in modern healthcare, it cannot be the 'most common' cause of injury.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Occupational Safety and Needlestick Injury Prevention helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
The cardinal rule for needle safety is to NEVER recap a used needle. This simple principle prevents a significant number of occupational exposures to blood-borne pathogens.
In the event of a needlestick injury, immediate first aid (washing the area with soap and water) and reporting the incident are critical. This allows for prompt risk assessment and initiation of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) if necessary.
What if? If a facility exclusively uses safety-engineered needles (e.g., self-sheathing or retractable), the most common cause of injury might shift to injuries occurring during the injection itself (e.g., patient movement) or during disposal if sharps containers are improperly used or overfilled.

How to Approach the Question

First, analyze the question's core ask: it's looking for the 'most common' cause of needlestick injuries from the given options.
Evaluate each option based on your knowledge of clinical practice and safety protocols.
Recall that handling sharps after use is a particularly high-risk period.
Compare the risks: Giving an injection is a controlled process. Recapping is an uncontrolled, often rushed action with a contaminated needle. Crushing is not a standard practice.
Conclude that recapping, a widely prohibited but historically common practice, presents the highest frequency of risk among the choices.
Select the option that reflects this high-risk, post-procedure handling error.

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