Sharps safety and what to do after a needlestick
- Safe practice
How to avoid injuries from needles and other sharps, and what to do straight away after a blood exposure.
What it is
Needlesticks and cuts with contaminated sharps can transmit hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. Nurses are the group that reports them most. They are prevented with a hierarchy of controls: eliminating the sharp where possible, using devices with a safety mechanism, sharps containers close to the point of use, safe practices such as not recapping, training and hepatitis B vaccination. If an exposure happens, the area is washed or irrigated, it is reported at once and medical evaluation is sought to assess the risk and possible post-exposure prophylaxis, which works best the sooner it starts.
What it requires
- Rigid, puncture-resistant sharps containers within reach of the point of use.
- Devices with sharps injury protection, or needle-free systems, where available.
- Hepatitis B vaccination up to date.
- An institutional biological-exposure protocol known to everyone.
- Confidential reporting of exposures.
Components
- Eliminating the sharp: needle-free systems, blunt sutures.
- Engineering controls: retracting or shielded needles, suitable sharps containers.
- Administrative controls: training, protocols, surveillance of injuries.
- Work practices: no recapping, planning disposal before the procedure.
- Personal protective equipment.
How it is applied (and why)
- Before the procedure, place the sharps container within reach and plan how you will discard the sharp — it avoids walking with exposed needles.
- Activate the device's safety mechanism as soon as you finish — it covers the tip before any movement.
- Do not recap; drop the needle straight into the sharps container, uncapped — recapping is a classic cause of needlesticks.
- Close the container when it reaches ¾ and never put a hand inside — a full container leaves needles sticking out.
- After a needlestick or cut, wash the wound with soap and water — it removes blood and lowers the microbial load.
- After a splash, flush nose, mouth or skin with water and irrigate eyes with clean water or saline — it cleans the exposed membrane.
- Tell your supervisor at once and complete the report: date, time, procedure, circumstances and device — it enables care and prevents repeats.
- Go for medical evaluation at once, following the institutional protocol — the risk is assessed and the need for post-exposure prophylaxis decided.
In nursing practice
- Hollow-bore needles that held blood carry the highest risk.
- Post-exposure evaluation considers the type of exposure, the source patient's status and the worker's vaccination.
- Information about the exposure is confidential.
- In Colombia, needles go into the sharps container uncapped, unless the institution's waste plan documents a greater risk; caps and sheaths go to non-hazardous waste.
Common mistakes
- Recapping with both hands.
- Filling the sharps container above ¾ or pushing its contents down.
- Leaving needles on the bed, the tray or in the linen.
- Waiting until the end of the shift to report the needlestick.
- Not reporting because the risk seemed low.
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
What is done immediately after a needlestick with a used needle?
Wash the wound with soap and water, report it at once to your supervisor and go for medical evaluation following the institution's protocol.
How is a blood splash to the eyes managed?
By irrigating the eyes with clean water, saline or a sterile irrigant, and reporting the exposure at once.
Why must medical evaluation after an exposure be immediate?
Because if post-exposure prophylaxis is indicated, it should start as soon as possible to work best.
Up to what level is a sharps container filled?
Up to ¾ of its capacity; at that point it is sealed and disposed of along the waste route.
Connections
Educational content for students; it does not replace your institution's protocols, supervised clinical training or a prescriber's order. Dose-calculation examples use made-up numbers: they are educational, not a clinical order.
Sources: Bloodborne Infectious Disease Risk Factors (Healthcare Workers) (CDC / National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 2026); Best Practices for Occupational Exposure to Blood (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2023); NIOSH Alert: Preventing Needlestick Injuries in Health Care Settings (Publication 2000-108) (CDC / National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 1999); Resolución 591 de 2024: Manual para la gestión integral de los residuos generados en la atención en salud y otras actividades (Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social, Colombia, 2024).
Spotted a mistake?We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it.Report a mistake
Representative model, for educational purposes only.