Evidenced-based practice: Intraoperative prevention of sharps injuries

Sharps injuries are a common occupational hazard in the operating room. This paper presents a conceptual map of sharps injuries prevention at the intraoperative level based on the evidence-based literature. The three outcome indicators identified include safety precaution, no sharps injuries, and competence. Five preventive interventions are suggested, including using hands-free techniques, wearing double-walled gloves, using blunt-tipped needles, providing education courses and making safety devices available. Recommendations in this paper may be used as a reference in developing a standard protocol for preventing sharps injuries in the operating room.