12th May International Nurses day Make nurses safety a priority in the workplace Tuesday 12th May 2009: New Delhi: More than ten lac needle stick injuries happen every year in the US in the hospitals alone with majority of these resulting from needle sticks involving hollow-bore needles. 60-80 % of all needle stick injuries go unreported. Nurses account for 44% of health care workers who are a victim of needle stick injuries. Nurses are more likely to be involved in a sharps injury than other hospital employees, said Dr KK Aggarwal President, Heart Care Foundation of India and Director, IMA AKN Sinha Institute. The amount of blood required for transmission for Hepatitis B Virus is only 0.00004ml. Accidental blood exposure involves any exposure or injury via the percutaneous or mucosa route involving blood, biological fluid contaminated with blood and/or blood-borne pathogens. Twenty or more pathogens can be transmitted via blood which could be potentially fatal. It includes HIV (AIDS), Hepatitis B, C & D, Dengue Virus, Diphtheria, Herpes Simplex/Zoster, Malaria, Cryptococcosis, Staphylococcus Aureus, Streptococcus Pyogenes, Syphilis, Toxoplasmosis, Tuberculosis and Necrotising Fascitis. Most reported needle stick injuries involve nursing staff; laboratory staff, physicians, hospital housekeepers, and other health care workers. Majority of the needle stick injuries occur in the operating room (23%) followed by the patient room (18%), emergency room (15%), and procedure room (11%).   84% of the needle stick injuries occur in the finger, 9% in the hand, and 5% in the arm. Needle stick injuries occur during various hospital procedures, with finger or heel stick (20%) and injections (16%) being the most common. The “other” category (23%), include procedures such as handling instruments, suturing, being stuck by another employee, and picking sharps up off the floor. Other common procedures leading to injury include cleaning or disassembling sharps and injuries occurring during surgical procedures. 88% of Needle Stick Injuries can be avoided by using safety devices and by taking precautions at the work place. Most needle stick injuries occur after the device has been used and therefore exposed to potentially contaminated blood.  Fifty percent of injuries occur between the time the procedure is completed and disposal of the device. 20 percent are associated with disposal of the device. 40 Million People worldwide are positive for HIV, 170 million with Hepatitis C virus and 360 Million with Chronic Hepatitis B infection. Prevention is the key 1.    Universal precautions for the prevention of needle stick injury 2.    The use of IV catheters with safety features as they can reduce needle sticks. 3.    Post exposure prophylaxis once the needle stick injury occurs.