Stab and cut lesions among general practitioners in the county of Funen
Søndergaard, J.; Andersen, M.B.
Ugeskrift for Laeger 160(12): 1781-1784
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-5782 PMID: 9536632 Document Number: 490673
In a questionnaire sent out to general practitioners (GP) in the County of Funen they reported a yearly incidence of lesions penetrating the skin of 1.2 per practitioner. Approximately half of these lesions were potentially infectious. Sixty percent of the lesions were due to accidents involving needles. Only 52% of the GPs with the risk of a potentially infectious lesion tried to prevent infection. We estimate that the risk of becoming infected with HIV or Hepatitis-B infection is very low. It is necessary to get GPs to change procedures in an attempt to minimize the risk.