Abolish needlestick injuries

If a health sector employee falls ill with a bloodborne disease, the cause is often a previous injury from a sharp, contaminated object. Direct blood-to-blood contact, such as with a needlestick injury (NSI), is among the recurring causes of infection. It isn’t possible to vaccinate against HIV, for instance, and the consequences of an infection remain fatal.

Among the most effective ways to protect medical staff from needlestick injuries is to use safety products. The specialist manufacturer Greiner Bio-One presents a portfolio of products to prevent such accidents. Healthcare employees handle a wide range of tasks and are exposed to many risks. When working with sharp and/or pointed objects, such as cannulas, the risk of injury and infection with transmissible pathogens increases when handling and disposing of these products. ‘Unfortunately,’ observes Greiner Bio-One, ‘potential hazards are often not noticed or taken seriously and those affected attribute too little – or sometimes even no significance – to their injury caused by a contaminated needle.’

hand in medical glove with needlestick injury

A needlestick injury can be due to a mechanical failure of the safety mechanism, or incomplete activation or improper use by the user, the company points out. ‘However, there are varying degrees of technical development of the safety products to avoid these kinds of malfunctions.¹ It’s particularly important that correct handling is practised and always to be careful when dealing with contaminated objects.’ The company reports that its safety products are engineered to provide the best possible protection from bloodborne diseases caused by NSI, including:

Vacuette safety blood collection sets: A safety mechanism is activated after blood has been collected and the needle is still in the vein, thus protecting against needlestick injuries.
The Vacuette Clix safety hypodermic needle, which has a built-in safety shield that irreversibly encloses the needle after it is activated. Successful activation is indicated by a clearly audible ‘click’.
The Vacuette Quickshield safety tube holder, equipped with a mechanism to keep the needle safe after venipuncture and thus protect against needlestick injuries. ‘In addition to their high degree of safety, the products distinguish themselves with their optimised ergonomic design,’ the manufacturer adds.

Details: www.power4safety.com.

¹^{Tosini, W, et al. 2010. Needlestick injury rates according to different safety-engineered devices etc. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, Vol 3 No.4.}

06.08.2019