Asiye Durmaz Akyol
Needle-stick and other percutaneous injuries pose the greatest risk of occupational transmission of serious blood borne infections such as hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to health care workers (HCW) and patients. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 16000 HCV, 66000 HBV and 1000 cases of HIV may have occurred worldwide in the year 2000 among health care workers through their exposure, to NSIs . In Turkey, about four million people are estimated to be carriers of chronic HBV between 0% and 2% of the blood donor population were found to be HCV antibody positive. The numbers of patients with HIV reported is relatively low, rates have been increasing steadily in recent years, whereas this number reached a total of 1325 in 2001. WHO reports that the number of sharp and needle stick injuries per person among health care staff are 4 per year in Africa, Western Mediterranean and Asia? The risk of occupational infection is rises by a factor including the following: hospital overcrowding lower ratio of HCWs to patients, limited awareness of the risks associated with exposure, to blood, failure to implement standard precautions, inadequate supplies of basic safety equipment, handles contaminated needles and other sharp instruments are reuse. Developed countries recognized the importance of safety practice among HCWs.