Impact of a shielded safety syringe
on needlestick injuries among healthcare workers.
Younger B, Hunt EH, Robinson C, McLemore C.
Infection Control, Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center, San Francisco,
California.
OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the impact of a shielded 3 cc safety syringe
on needlestick injuries among healthcare workers. DESIGN: Surveillance
study. SETTING: Three medical centers. RESULTS: The total number
of needlesticks from all sources rose from 134 during the baseline
period to 140 during the study phase. However, the overall rate
of needlesticks involving 3 cc syringes decreased from 14/100,000
inventory units to 2/100,000, and the frequency declined substantially
at each of the participating medical centers. CONCLUSIONS: These
results suggest that shielded syringes and related technology may
offer potential for reducing the risk of needlestick injuries among
hospital and other healthcare employees. This study should be viewed
as a preliminary effort to assess the potential of shielded-syringe
technology for reducing the risk of needlestick injuries among healthcare
workers. The results are encouraging, but more clinical experience
with this new device and longer follow up are essential to provide
the data necessary for a definitive assessment of efficacy. |
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