OBJECTIVE To investigate the current status and causes of occupational exposures to needlestick injuries among healthcare workers who perform minimally invasive acupunctures of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) so as to propose treatment countermeasures.

METHODS A total of 95 cases who were involved in the occupational exposures to needlestick injuries due to minimally invasive acupunctures and were treated in hospital infection management department of Ruikang Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine from Jan. 2020 to Dec. 2024 were retrospectively investigated, and the risk factors for the occupational exposures were statistically analyzed.

RESULTS The cases of operation-induced needlestick injuries accounted for 16.35% (95/581) among the total cases of occupational exposures due to the operation of minimally invasive acupunctures of TCM, standardized and advanced training doctors as well as interns were dominant among the occupational exposure cases. There were 69 (72.63%) cases of acupuncture needle injuries, 34 (35.79%) of whom had the needlestick injuries during the process of withdrawal of needles. The result of data analysis showed that there were significant differences in age, occupation, working years, distribution of departments, autoimmunity, type of needlestick injury, link of stick injuries and treatment of occupational exposure with emergent screening (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS The incidence of needlestick injuries is high among the health care workers who perform the minimally invasive acupunctures of TCM, which should be attached great attention to. It is of great significance to standardize and modify the use procedure, use portable sharp boxes, intensify the safe operation skills for the health care workers with less experience, strengthen the teaching, focus on the autoimmunity, vaccinate in a timely manner, and effectively treat the occupational exposures so as to reduce the incidence of occupational exposures and the risk of infections.