Outpatient Surgery Magazine - Subscribers

No More Never Events - February 2014 - Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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5 3 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4 | O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E S harps injury rates dropped by more than one-third in the year after the passage of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act (NSPA) of 2000, say researchers at the University of Virginia's School of Medicine in a recent issue of the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ( tinyurl.com/ozcjaxp ). This decline, which continued for the next 4 years, represented more than 100,000 fewer injuries and $69 million to $415 million in cost savings annually. More than a decade later, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard ( tinyurl.com/4f8mcwb ), which includes the NSPA, isn't the only guidance available on identify- ing sharps risks and putting safer alternatives into practice. Among other regulatory agencies, accreditors and organizations, the American College of Surgeons recommends double-gloving, hands- free zones and blunt-tip suture needles to protect OR personnel. But awareness doesn't always translate into compliance, says a sur- vey conducted at Virginia Commonwealth University for the journal Surgical Infection, which cites respondents' complaints of reduced tactile sensation, a lack of training and a lack of available products as obstacles to the ACS's advice ( tinyurl.com/mgytvpg ). If your facility plans to trial and implement re-engineered devices, work practice improvements or administrative controls with an eye S U R G I C A L S A F E T Y Equip Your ORs for Sharps Safety Safety-engineered sharps and trays provide passing protection. OSE_1402_part2_Layout 1 2/6/14 2:57 PM Page 53

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