❓ A parliamentary question addresses the potential health risks associated with needle-stick injuries from discarded syringes in public places in Western Australia. The response indicates a low risk of blood-borne virus transmission and acknowledges a lack of data on the incidence of such injuries.
AnsweredQoN 1409Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
NEEDLE-STICK INJURIES, HEALTH RISKS
(1) What are the potential health risks for a person who has been pricked by a discarded hypodermic needle? (2) How many Western Australians suffer needle-stick injuries as a result of contact with hypodermic syringes discarded in public places including beaches, parks, playgrounds, public toilets, garden beds and rubbish bins? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH
(1) What are the potential health risks for a person who has been pricked by a discarded hypodermic needle? (2) How many Western Australians suffer needle-stick injuries as a result of contact with hypodermic syringes discarded in public places including beaches, parks, playgrounds, public toilets, garden beds and rubbish bins? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) There have been no reported incidents in Australia of a blood-borne virus - hepatitis C, hepatitis B or HIV - being transmitted via a needle-stick injury occurring in a public place. There is a potential, but low, risk of blood-borne viruses being transmitted. The likelihood of transmission occurring would depend on a range of factors, including the amount of blood, the length of time the blood has been in the syringe, the extent of the injury and exposure to the elements. The likelihood of HIV transmission occurring is very low, for the reasons stated above, and also given that HIV prevalence is low amongst people who inject drugs. There is some risk of tetanus or other bacterial infections occurring through soil particles entering the wound. (2) No systematically collected data is available to answer this question.
(2) How many Western Australians suffer needle-stick injuries as a result of contact with hypodermic syringes discarded in public places including beaches, parks, playgrounds, public toilets, garden beds and rubbish bins? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) There have been no reported incidents in Australia of a blood-borne virus - hepatitis C, hepatitis B or HIV - being transmitted via a needle-stick injury occurring in a public place. There is a potential, but low, risk of blood-borne viruses being transmitted. The likelihood of transmission occurring would depend on a range of factors, including the amount of blood, the length of time the blood has been in the syringe, the extent of the injury and exposure to the elements. The likelihood of HIV transmission occurring is very low, for the reasons stated above, and also given that HIV prevalence is low amongst people who inject drugs. There is some risk of tetanus or other bacterial infections occurring through soil particles entering the wound. (2) No systematically collected data is available to answer this question.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) There have been no reported incidents in Australia of a blood-borne virus - hepatitis C, hepatitis B or HIV - being transmitted via a needle-stick injury occurring in a public place. There is a potential, but low, risk of blood-borne viruses being transmitted. The likelihood of transmission occurring would depend on a range of factors, including the amount of blood, the length of time the blood has been in the syringe, the extent of the injury and exposure to the elements. The likelihood of HIV transmission occurring is very low, for the reasons stated above, and also given that HIV prevalence is low amongst people who inject drugs. There is some risk of tetanus or other bacterial infections occurring through soil particles entering the wound. (2) No systematically collected data is available to answer this question.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) There have been no reported incidents in Australia of a blood-borne virus - hepatitis C, hepatitis B or HIV - being transmitted via a needle-stick injury occurring in a public place. There is a potential, but low, risk of blood-borne viruses being transmitted. The likelihood of transmission occurring would depend on a range of factors, including the amount of blood, the length of time the blood has been in the syringe, the extent of the injury and exposure to the elements. The likelihood of HIV transmission occurring is very low, for the reasons stated above, and also given that HIV prevalence is low amongst people who inject drugs. There is some risk of tetanus or other bacterial infections occurring through soil particles entering the wound. (2) No systematically collected data is available to answer this question.
(1) There have been no reported incidents in Australia of a blood-borne virus - hepatitis C, hepatitis B or HIV - being transmitted via a needle-stick injury occurring in a public place. There is a potential, but low, risk of blood-borne viruses being transmitted. The likelihood of transmission occurring would depend on a range of factors, including the amount of blood, the length of time the blood has been in the syringe, the extent of the injury and exposure to the elements. The likelihood of HIV transmission occurring is very low, for the reasons stated above, and also given that HIV prevalence is low amongst people who inject drugs. There is some risk of tetanus or other bacterial infections occurring through soil particles entering the wound. (2) No systematically collected data is available to answer this question.
(2) How many Western Australians suffer needle-stick injuries as a result of contact with hypodermic syringes discarded in public places including beaches, parks, playgrounds, public toilets, garden beds and rubbish bins? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) There have been no reported incidents in Australia of a blood-borne virus - hepatitis C, hepatitis B or HIV - being transmitted via a needle-stick injury occurring in a public place. There is a potential, but low, risk of blood-borne viruses being transmitted. The likelihood of transmission occurring would depend on a range of factors, including the amount of blood, the length of time the blood has been in the syringe, the extent of the injury and exposure to the elements. The likelihood of HIV transmission occurring is very low, for the reasons stated above, and also given that HIV prevalence is low amongst people who inject drugs. There is some risk of tetanus or other bacterial infections occurring through soil particles entering the wound. (2) No systematically collected data is available to answer this question.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) There have been no reported incidents in Australia of a blood-borne virus - hepatitis C, hepatitis B or HIV - being transmitted via a needle-stick injury occurring in a public place. There is a potential, but low, risk of blood-borne viruses being transmitted. The likelihood of transmission occurring would depend on a range of factors, including the amount of blood, the length of time the blood has been in the syringe, the extent of the injury and exposure to the elements. The likelihood of HIV transmission occurring is very low, for the reasons stated above, and also given that HIV prevalence is low amongst people who inject drugs. There is some risk of tetanus or other bacterial infections occurring through soil particles entering the wound. (2) No systematically collected data is available to answer this question.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) There have been no reported incidents in Australia of a blood-borne virus - hepatitis C, hepatitis B or HIV - being transmitted via a needle-stick injury occurring in a public place. There is a potential, but low, risk of blood-borne viruses being transmitted. The likelihood of transmission occurring would depend on a range of factors, including the amount of blood, the length of time the blood has been in the syringe, the extent of the injury and exposure to the elements. The likelihood of HIV transmission occurring is very low, for the reasons stated above, and also given that HIV prevalence is low amongst people who inject drugs. There is some risk of tetanus or other bacterial infections occurring through soil particles entering the wound. (2) No systematically collected data is available to answer this question.
(1) There have been no reported incidents in Australia of a blood-borne virus - hepatitis C, hepatitis B or HIV - being transmitted via a needle-stick injury occurring in a public place. There is a potential, but low, risk of blood-borne viruses being transmitted. The likelihood of transmission occurring would depend on a range of factors, including the amount of blood, the length of time the blood has been in the syringe, the extent of the injury and exposure to the elements. The likelihood of HIV transmission occurring is very low, for the reasons stated above, and also given that HIV prevalence is low amongst people who inject drugs. There is some risk of tetanus or other bacterial infections occurring through soil particles entering the wound. (2) No systematically collected data is available to answer this question.
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