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• using blunt-tip suture needles for closing, in compliance with American College of Surgeons guidelines (surgeons who want to use sharp needles have to apply for exemptions);
• a thorough review of safety scalpels, in light of recent technological improvements;
• providing sharps safety education for all incoming medical students and residents; and
• a more in-depth focus on how we handle instruments not only during procedures, but also postprocedure from sterile field to sterile processing.
It's an ongoing process as we continue to look at different safety blade prototypes and designs. They might not all work with the particular kind of procedures we're doing, but we're always on the hunt