Every year, there are approximately 385,000 sharps-related injuries affecting healthcare workers in nosocomial institutions, according to CDC data. This represents about 1,000 sharps’ injuries per day in the USA. Data indicates that sharp injury events are poorly reported, reaching about 50% of the cases.

 The magnitude of the problem is even larger because incidents from long term facilities, private offices, home healthcare, and data from other facilities have not been included in previous rates. Various pathogens can be transmitted during sharps’ injury incidents  from patients to healthcare workers and reversibly for workers to the patients.

 These findings remark the necessity of a widespread program to properly assess the extend of the problem and to identify proper interventions to reduce the rate of unwanted incidents.

 Some very pathogenic microorganism, such as herpes, streptococcus, syphilis, blastomycosis, etc can be transmitted during a sharp incident. However, due to their intrinsic virulence, pathogenesis and frequency, Hepatitis B, C, and HIV have relevant importance.

 The cost related to sharps’ injury is quite high and diverse. The impact of the problem on areas such as, emotional, social, side-effects of the treatment, loss of labor days, and litigation has not been evaluated yet. The direct cost of treatment t is currently estimated to be between 500 and 3000 dollars per each incident.

 To prevent sharps’ injuries, CDC has posted a workbook entitled "Sharps Safety: Be Sharp. Be Safe.” The workbook contains the CDC guide plan which can help infection control experts from nosocomial institutions to organize their own assessment and interventions to prevent sharps injuries.