Report by Swedish medical device company Mölnlycke find that incidents of sharp injuries have increased because of the Covid-19 pandemic

A survey by the Swedish medical devices company Mölnlycke of 251 Occupational Health (OH) professionals has found that that incidents of sharps injuries in hospitals have increased because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey which was commissioned to understand their perceptions of the impact of sharps injuries on clinicians and hospitals. OH professionals were surveyed from across the UK, both in the NHS and the private sector, they all had responsibility for operating theatre staff as part of their job description.

The results of the survey highlighted that sharps injuries are prominent in hospital settings. In the case of sharps injuries, over three quarters (76 per cent) of OH professionals receive referrals for this at least once a month. Furthermore, 15 per cent of OH professionals received referrals for sharps injuries 2-3 times a week.

The survey illustrated the mental and emotional impact that these injuries in the operating theatre can have on clinicians too. Over a quarter (27 per cent) of occupational health professionals identified the emotional distress of the clinician as the most significant impact of sharps injuries.

The survey found that 55 per cent of OH professionals agreed that reporting of sharp injuries has increased as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, this may only be the tip of the iceberg, as we also found that nearly as many people – 51 per cent of respondents – agreed that under-reporting of sharp injuries has increased as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, suggesting that the true number may be far greater.