Compliance with universal precautions and needle handling and disposal practices among emergency department staff at two community hospitals.

BACKGROUND

To describe rates of needle disposal and barrier use within the emergency departments at two privately owned community hospitals in two suburbs of Minneapolis, a study was conducted. This study consisted of direct observation of a cohort of emergency department personnel providing patient care followed by a self-administered survey of the same personnel.

METHODS

From June through August 1990, seven specially trained registered nurses observed emergency department personnel for a total of 400 hours. The observers documented the appropriate rates of use of gowns, goggles, masks, and gloves. Observers also noted methods of needle disposal and frequency of needle recapping. After observation, surveys that included items requesting estimates of rates of use for each barrier, as well as estimates of the rates and methods of needle recapping and disposal, were distributed. For each observed and corresponding self-reported behavior, 95% confidence intervals were calculated and compared.

RESULTS

A total of 1,822 procedures were recorded. Gloves were observed to be used when appropriate 67.2% of the time, followed by goggles (50.7%), masks (16.0%), and gowns (15.3%). Self-reported barrier rates were slightly higher in all cases except for goggle use. About one third (34.4%) of the needles were recapped; 78.1% of these were recapped two-handed.

CONCLUSIONS

Previous studies have documented low universal precautions compliance rates at urban teaching hospitals. Our data indicate less than optimal levels of compliance also at community hospitals, and show that personnel are less than fully aware of their own noncompliance.