An ongoing concern for all operating room medical staff is the risk of needlesticks. According to information from the America Nurses Association, approximately 600, 000 to 800,000 sharps injuries occur to medical staff on a yearly basis. Some of these needlesticks and sharps injuries are outside of the operating room and are common in emergency rooms and long-term care facilities as well as the operating room.
The American College of Surgeons released a statement in June of 2016 reporting that blood from the patient makes contact with the mucus membranes or skin of the operating room medical staff in half of all procedures. Within this group, 15% include needlesticks, with surgeons and scrub techs most likely to experience the injury.
Options in Needlestick Safety
Several different recommendations have been put forward by the CDC, including the use of blunt-tip suture needles. However, this is not the ideal solution for all surgical procedures. Developing different strategies and technology for needlestick safety provides the greatest protection for the surgical team.
Some of the most effective solutions include:
- Use devices that include a needle trap that safely stores the contaminated needles without the need to transfer the contaminated needles from the surgeon to the scrub tech.
- Review needlestick safety protocols on a regular basis and focus on identifying any areas where the risk is higher in the operating room
- Develop a practice of immediately removing the needles from the operating field
- Manage sharps containers to avoid difficulties in placing contaminated needles into the container.
Using innovative devices to manage contaminated needles and reduce the handling of these needles provides the most effective strategy to prevent injury.
Sharp Fluidics has engineered a Needle Trap that provides complete needlestick safety during surgical procedures. Contact them today to learn more.
