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Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Numbers

To the Editor: In their survey of Iowa and Virginia hospitals, Beekmann et al. report estimates of percutaneous injury rates for nursing personnel relative to two prior multihospital and several single-hospital studies, and comment that these injuries remain common even after promulgation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. It is difficult to compare injury rates unless they incorporate corrections for underreporting and, especially in overtimeprone understaffed units, number of hours worked (thus, at risk). A decade ago, a study of 312 critical care nurses in 11 self-selected, acutecare Canadian hospitals found injury attack and incidence density rates commensurate with rates published prior to the era of Universal Precautions and Body Substance Isolation, no significant reduction in rates following adoption of Universal Precautions and Body Substance Isolation, no correlation between reduction of needlestick injury and extent of recapping (estimated by inspection of disposal containers), and significant underreporting of employee injuries.At that time, the strategy perceived as least effective in discouraging recapping also was the most prevalent. These 11 hospitals were a subset of the large number of hospitals participating in a survey of infection control program practices. Overall, we found the staffing levels of infection control programs to be consistent with the finding of Beekmann et al. that the smallest hospitals were least likely to have infection control staff, but also found low staffing ratios of infection control professionals in larger hospitals (Table).