Needlestick Injuries Involving Winged Steel Needles

To prevent needlestick injuries hospitals are implementing the use of devices with engineered sharps injury prevention (ESIP) features (i.e., safety features). From June 1995 though December 1999, NaSH hospitals reported the following data on injuries associated with the use of winged steel needles (WSN) with ESIP features:

• 13% of all percutaneous injuries reported to NaSH occurred with the use of a WSN
• 20% of all WSN injures have involved the use of a WSN with an ESIP feature.
• 5% (298) of all percutaneous injuries reported occurred with the use of a device with an ESIP feature.
• 52% (155) of these involved a WSN with an ESIP feature.
• Mechanisms of the 155 injuries from WSN with ESIP features included:
  • 43% before activation of the device was appropriate
  • 27% user did not activate the device
  • 22% during activation or improper activation
  • <1% device failed after activation
  • 7% other/unknown reasons

Fifteen NaSH hospitals have reported this type of injury, however two hospitals have reported over half of the injuries.

A previous study reported a similar number of injuries¹ and two other studies that examined WSN with ESIP features found that their use reduced overall injury rates^2-3. However, the use of WSN with ESIP features have not eliminated all injuries occurring with this type of device. The data reported here demonstrate that a number of injuries occurred when the device was not activated, or during activation. This highlights the importance of collecting data on the mechanism of injuries and suggests prevention interventions, such as additional training on the use of the device, could further reduce these types of injuries.

If you have any experience or information on this issue that you wish to share, please let us know. You can contact us by telephone, 800-893–0485, or email Nash@cdc.gov.

1. Jagger J, Bentley M. Safe Disposal of Safety Devices, Advances in Exposure Prevention 1999;4(2):1,17.

2. CDC. Evaluation of Safety Devices for Preventing Percutaneous Injuries Among Health-Care Workers During Phlebotomy Procedures– Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York City, and San Francisco, 1993–1995. MMWR 1997;46:21-25.

3. Mendelson MH, Solomon R, Bailey E, et al. Efficacity of a "Safety" Winged Steel Needle in Preventing Percutaneous Injuries in Healthcare Workers, [Abstract 35] In: Program for The Eight Annual Meeting of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America; 1998 April 5-7; Orlando, Florida.

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This page last reviewed July 7, 2000

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Infectious Diseases
Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion