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During my career as a nurse, there have been concerns such as HIV, Hepatitis C, COVID, staffing shortages, and needlesticks, to name a few. You can have state-of-the-art equipment, proper PPE, and follow all protocols, yet sometimes situations are still unpredictable. There are needleless systems and retractable systems; unfortunately, not all medical equipment can function in this manner.
My experience with a needlestick occurred while using an endoscopic fine needle aspiration (FNA) device. It was approximately 1999, early in the development of this technology. I was working in endoscopy, and we were performing a fine needle aspiration of a pancreatic mass. When reinserting the stylet into the needle, I sustained a needlestick injury. In that moment, my mind was racing. Thoughts such as, We still need to finish this procedure. What is the patient’s medical and social history? Should I contact employee health? ran through my head.
This particular patient was considered low risk for exposure (no history of intravenous drug use and not HIV- or Hepatitis C-positive), so I remained as calm as could be expected. I still contacted employee health and followed the needlestick protocol. Fortunately, all testing came back negative.
My career in endoscopy continued until 2019, and the technology for FNA remained largely the same. Some physician techniques differ, with no stylet reinsertion. While this can be helpful, the needle is still exposed to the healthcare provider during specimen collection. Although the statistical risk of contracting a bloodborne pathogen from a needlestick is relatively low, it does not minimize the fear. I recently asked colleagues about their experiences with needlesticks, and nine out of ten reported sustaining one at some point in their careers. These included nurses, surgeons, and anesthesiologists.