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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
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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.
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