Correct Answer – Option 4 : Wash with soap and water

Concept:

• Needlestick injuries are wound caused by accidental puncture of the skin by a needle.
• Needlestick injuries can cause blood transmitted diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis B. Both of the diseases are life-threatening. Therefore, needle stick injuries are taken care of immediately without any delay.

Explanation:

Protocol of Needlestick Injury:

• Cleaning with running water and soap.
• Cross-check with patient’s virology result.
• Management
  • Vaccination for Hepatitis B and tetanus.
  • Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors.
  • Initiate Antiretroviral therapy within 72 hours of exposure.
• Reporting

Preventive measures:

• Use disposable syringes and needles.
• Discard needles carefully and according to biomedical waste management.
• Don’t perform recapping of needles.
• Always use a sharp container.

• A needle stick injury with HIV contamination causes a chance of 1/160 chance to get the disease.
• According to CDC, around 385000 needle stick injuries occur per year.