Healthcare can be a dangerous occupation. For physician assistants, the potential for danger is especially acute, due to the varied nature of a physician assistant’s job. The average day for a physician assistant can include diagnosing conditions, managing treatments and prescribing medication. These duties include a large degree of patient interaction and can include needles, sutures and other sharp objects.
Dangers Associated With Needlestick Injuries and Physician Assistant Safety
A needlestick injury occurs anytime that a physician assistant or other healthcare provider is poked with a sharp tool they are using to provide patient care. These injuries can cause severe illness or even death, due to the potential of infectious disease. Most commonly, needlestick injuries result in hepatitis B and HIV infections after a healthcare member has stuck themselves with a needle they already used on an infected patient.
Ways Physician Assistants Can Prevent Needlestick Injuries
The CDC estimates that at least 1,000 needlestick injuries happen every day. How can a physician assistant help to reduce the chances of this injury? They can follow these tips:
- Always follow proper procedures
- Advocate for equipment designed to reduce needlesticks
- Use equipment designed for the specific task
Steps Employers Can Take to Reduce Needlestick Injuries
The most important step an employer can take to increase physician assistant safety is to prioritize safety for the healthcare provider and patient. Choose tools that help to that make surgery less invasive, reduce passage of needles and eliminates the need for multi-tasking during a procedure that may involve a needle.
Sharp Fluidics designs tools to help keep healthcare workers safe, and they can be contacted on online.
