OBJECTIVES: Needlestick injuries (NSIs) constitute a serious occupational health hazard because they can expose healthcare workers to infections by bloodborne pathogens, including hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) for the health care workers (HCWs).

METHODS: MEDLINE was systematically searched, pairing keywords for NSI with outcomes, to identify English-language articles for India. Conference proceedings from past four years were also reviewed. Studies evaluating clinical, patient-centered, economic, and epidemiologic outcomes in NSI were included. Subsequently, a decision tree was developed to estimate and compare the yearly costs incurred while using safety engineered device needle devices (SED) compared to non-SED. For this cost impact analysis, we quantified the annual total direct medical cost per HCW per NSI.

RESULTS: The prevalence and frequency of NSI in India ranged from 61 % to 79.5% and 2.3 to 4.5 per HCW per year respectively. Incidence density was 228.57 per 100 person days. 79.5% to 90.5% HCWs reported having at least one NSI in their career. In a hypothetical cohort of 100 HCWs, costs per HCW per year per NSI episode avoided was ₹ (Indian Rupee) 47,861($744). The components comprising this cost element were costs incurred due to injecting needle, suturing needle, cannula, and other needles, respectively as per the literature. Hence, the breakdown of ₹ 47,861 were estimated as ₹ 23,930 ($370), ₹ 15,794 ($244), ₹ 6,221 ($96), and ₹ 1,914 ($29) due to injuries inflicted by injecting needle, suturing needle, cannula, and other needles, respectively. This is close to the international estimate of median of means for aggregate (direct + indirect) costs $747 (range, $199–$1,691) of one NSI injury episode.

CONCLUSIONS: The use of SED would surely produce cost savings for hospitals. Government of India initiatives are needed to protect healthcare workers from risk of bloodborne pathogen infections due to NSIs.