For medical students, real experience begins not in a classroom but at a teaching hospital. These doctors in training are guided. But sometimes accidents happen and the students get injured.
For example, they might stick themselves with a needle while treating patients. Such needle sticks are common. But a recent study found that medical students often fail to report them. Failing to report an injury like this can be dangerous if a patient, or a medical worker, has an infectious disease.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, did the study, which involved a survey answered by almost 700 surgeons in training in the United States.
Almost 60% said they had suffered needle stick injuries when they were in medical school. Many said they were stuck more than once. Yet nearly half of those whose most recent incident happened in school did not report it to a health office. If they had, they would have been tested to see if they needed treatment to prevent an infection like HIV or hepatitis.
Most known cases of HIV or hepatitis are reported, but other possible infections often are not. Martin Makary, the lead author of the study, says medical students who are stuck put themselves and others in danger from infectious diseases.
Doctor Makary said, "A needle that goes through the skin needs to be as sharp as possible.” Doctors in training may have to do hundreds of stitches (縫線) in some cases to close the skin after an operation.
Doctor Makary said, “I support using
blunt tip needles which are considered safer. This needle is still sharp enough to go through body tissue, but it does have a blunt tip, so that if it accidentally goes into my finger, it's much less likely to hurt me."
How common are needle sticks among health care workers? An estimated 600,000 to 800,000 of these and similar injuries are reported each year in the United States. But Doctor Makary says the real number may be much higher.
The study advises doctors to protect their hands by wearing two sets of gloves. It also urges hospitals to establish a special telephone number for medical workers and students to call if they are injured. The idea is for hospitals to send a clear message that there is no reason not to report this kind of accident.
小題1:It is dangerous for medical students not to report needle stick injuries because _________.
| A．they don’t know how to treat themselves. |
| B．they may meet more needle sticks |
| C．it may cause some diseases |
| D．it may make patients sad. |
小題2:If they report needle stick injuries, medical students will __________.
| A．receive treatment | B．be forbidden to use sharp needles |
| C．spend more time on training | D．receive tests |
小題3:The underlined word “blunt” in Paragraph 7 is the closest in meaning to “__________”.
| A．not sharp | B．not safe | C．not long | D．not thick |
小題4:What do we know from the passage?
| A．Doctors who don’t report needle stick injuries will be punished. |
| B．Needle sticks among health care workers will reduce sharply in the future. |
| C．Most needle stick injuries happen in the United States. |
| D．Two suggestions are given to protect medical workers and students. |
小題5:Where can this passage most probably be found?
| A．In an entertainment magazine | B．In a science magazine |
| C．In a storybook | D．In science fiction |
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