[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) › [Infection prevention and control](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/areas/infection/) › Sharps safety and what to do after a needlestick # 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. Updated Nov 5, 2026 ## Key points - Do not recap needles; drop them straight into the sharps container. - Needlestick or cut: wash with soap and water. Splash to nose, mouth or skin: flush with water. Eyes: irrigate with clean water or saline. - Report at once to your supervisor and complete the incident report. - Seek medical evaluation immediately: post-exposure prophylaxis, if indicated, starts as soon as possible. - The sharps container is closed when it reaches ¾ of its capacity. ## 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. [Add to my cards (4)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/nursing/sharps-safety-and-what-to-do-after-a-needlestick/) ## Connections ## Related 3 - [Standard precautions](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/standard-precautions/) - [Healthcare waste: segregation and colour codes in Colombia](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/healthcare-waste-segregation-and-colour-codes-in-colombia/) - [Putting on and taking off personal protective equipment](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/putting-on-and-taking-off-personal-protective-equipment/) [← All of nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) 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)](https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/healthcare/risk-factors/bloodborne-infectious-diseases.html) (CDC / National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 2026); [Best Practices for Occupational Exposure to Blood](https://www.cdc.gov/dental-infection-control/hcp/dental-ipc-faqs/occupational-exposure.html) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2023); [NIOSH Alert: Preventing Needlestick Injuries in Health Care Settings (Publication 2000-108)](https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/niosh/docs/2000-108/default.html) (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](https://www.minsalud.gov.co/Normatividad_Nuevo/Resoluci%C3%B3n%20No%20591%20de%202024.pdf) (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. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/nursing/sharps-safety-and-what-to-do-after-a-needlestick/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/nursing/sharps-safety-and-what-to-do-after-a-needlestick/