Extended Work Duration and the Risk of Self-reported Percutaneous Injuries in Interns

Abstract

Exposures to contaminated fluids from percutaneous needlesticks and laceration injuries are serious hazards associated with postgraduate medical training. These injuries may result in the transmission of blood-borne pathogens, including hepatitis and human immunodeficiency viruses, and thus have significant occupational health implications.1 Factors contributing to the occurrence of these percutaneous injuries (PIs) in physicians have not been well studied. We hypothesized that sleep deprivation may play a role in these incidents.2