針扎是醫療照護人員最常見的職業傷害，對醫療人員的工作安全與健康造成極大的威脅， 且遭受針扎後的通報流程與追蹤處理費用，也是醫院的重要經濟成本。而預防針扎最有效的方 法為使用安全針具，為了讓醫療人員有更安全的工作環境，除了衛生福利部將「安全針具」列 入醫院評鑑内容及感染管制查核外，立法院亦修正「醫療法」，規定五年内醫療機構須逐步完 成安全針具的全面性替換。故本文擬就醫療人員發生針扎的流行病學、針扎後造成醫療院所經 營成本的經濟耗損’並針對美國於2000年通過「針扎安全及預防法案(The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act)」後’政策對其醫療人員針扎狀況所造成的影響等相關文獻進行整理’以提供 國内未來臨床執業環境改善、政策及相關研究方向的參考。

Needlestick injury (NSI) is the most common occupational hazard among healthcare workers (HCWs). Not only do NSIs present a great threat to HCWs’ safety and health, but they also result in substantial costs to hospitals as a result of subsequent tracking expenses, including blood tests and preventive treatments. The most effective measure to avoid preventable NSIs is to provide safe needles to HCWs. In order to provide a safer working environment for HCWs, the Department of Health has listed the use of safety devices as one of the criteria for hospital accreditation. The Legislature Yuan has also imposed a regulation by amending the Medical Act to require that hospitals replace conventional medical devices with ones with safety features within five years. This article reviews the epidemiologic, economic and policy aspects of NSIs. It also examines the overall situation of NSIs in the United States after the passage of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act of 2000.