CDC says safety devices reduce needlesticks
Safety devices can significantly reduce needlesticks associated with phlebotomy without having much adverse effect on patient care, according to a report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
The CDC conducted a study in conjunction with six university-affiliated hospitals to evaluate the effectiveness of vacuum-tube blood collection devices and winged steel needles with safety features. These were the products evaluated:
• Safety-Lok resheathable winged steel needle from Becton Dickinson in Franklin Lakes, NJ;
• Punctur-Guard, a bluntable vacuum-tube blood collection needle activated while in the patient’s vein, from Bio-Plexus in Tolland, CT;
• Venipuncture Needle-Pro, a vacuum-tube blood collection needle with a hinged recapping sheath from Smith Industries in Keene, NH.
Each product requires the user to activate the safety feature during or after phlebotomy. After studying use of the devices at the hospitals for an average of 10 months at each facility, the CDC concluded that they can reduce the risk of needlesticks.
The study also assessed whether there was any harm to the patients from the devices, such as vein trauma, increased discomfort, and the need for repeated phlebotomy attempts. There were few reports of such problems.
The study results were published in the Jan. 17, 1997, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The CDC will provide free copies of the report until Jan. 16, 1998. Contact the National AIDS Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 6003, Rockville, MD 20849-6003. Telephone: (800) 458-5231 or (301) 217-0023.
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