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Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology Publication Info

Article DOI: 10.1086/502174
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/502174
Evaluation of a Safety Resheathable Winged Steel Needle for Prevention of Percutaneous Injuries Associated With Intravascular‐Access Procedures Among Healthcare Workers • 
Meryl H. Mendelson , MD, Bao Ying Lin‐Chen , MPH, Robin Solomon , RN, MS, Eileen Bailey , RN, MPH, Gene Kogan , MS and James Goldbold , PhD
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology , Vol. 24, No. 2 (February 2003), pp. 105-112
Article DOI: 10.1086/502174
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/502174
Original Articles

Evaluation of a Safety Resheathable Winged Steel Needle for Prevention of Percutaneous Injuries Associated With Intravascular‐Access Procedures Among Healthcare Workers

Formats Available in JSTOR: PDF

Abstract(back to top)

OBJECTIVE.  To compare the percutaneous injury rate associated with a standard versus a safety resheathable winged steel (butterfly) needle.

DESIGN. Before–after trial of winged steel needle injuries during a 33‐month period (19‐month baseline, 3‐month training, and 11‐month study intervention), followed by a 31‐month poststudy period.

SETTING. A 1,190‐bed acute care referral hospital with inpatient and outpatient services in New York City.

PARTICIPANTS. All healthcare workers performing intravascular‐access procedures with winged steel needles.

INTERVENTION.  Safety resheathable winged steel needle.

RESULTS. The injury rate associated with winged steel needles declined from 13.41 to 6.41 per 100,000 (relative risk [RR], 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI95], 0.31 to 0.73) following implementation of the safety device. Injuries occurring during or after disposal were reduced most substantially (RR, 0.15; CI95, 0.06 to 0.43). Safety winged steel needle injuries occurred most often before activation of the safety mechanism was appropriate (39%); 32% were due to the user choosing not to activate the device, 21% occurred during activation, and 4% were due to improper activation. Preference for the safety winged steel needle over the standard device was 63%. The safety feature was activated in 83% of the samples examined during audits of disposal containers. Following completion of the study, the safety winged steel needle injury rate (7.29 per 100,000) did not differ significantly from the winged steel needle injury rate during the study period.

CONCLUSION. Implementation of a safety resheathable winged steel needle substantially reduced injuries among healthcare workers performing vascular‐access procedures. The residual risk of injury associated with this device can be reduced further with increased compliance with proper activation procedures.

Bibliographic Information(back to top)

  • Evaluation of a Safety Resheathable Winged Steel Needle for Prevention of Percutaneous Injuries Associated With Intravascular‐Access Procedures Among Healthcare Workers
  • Meryl H. Mendelson , MD, Bao Ying Lin‐Chen , MPH, Robin Solomon , RN, MS, Eileen Bailey , RN, MPH, Gene Kogan , MS and James Goldbold , PhD
  • Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
  • Vol. 24, No. 2 (February 2003) (pp. 105-112)

Author Information(back to top)

Meryl H. Mendelson , MD; Bao Ying Lin‐Chen , MPH; Robin Solomon , RN, MS; Eileen Bailey , RN, MPH; Gene Kogan , MS; James Goldbold , PhD

Notes and References(back to top)

This item contains 1 note(s).

Notes

Dr. Mendelson and Ms. Lin‐Chen are from the Departments of Medicine and Infection Control; Ms. Solomon is from the Department of Medicine; Ms. Bailey is from the Department of Nursing; Mr. Kogan is from the Department of Infection Control; and Dr. Goldbold is from the Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York. Address reprint requests to Meryl H. Mendelson, MD, Division of Infectious Diseases, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY 10029. Funded in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention PHS Contracts 200‐94‐0876: Surveillance of Occupational Exposures and Infections Among Health Care Workers, 200‐96‐0548: Pilot Test National Occupational Surveillance System for Hospital Based Healthcare Workers, and H75/CCH217822‐02: Using the National Surveillance System for Hospital Healthcare Workers to Reduce Percutaneous Injuries Among Health Care Workers; and Becton Dickinson Inc. Presented in part at the 8th Annual Meeting of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, April 5‐7, 1998, Orlando, Florida; the 36th Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, November 12‐15, 1998, Denver, Colorado; and the 4th Decennial International Conference on Nosocomial and Healthcare‐Associated Infections and the 10th Annual Meeting of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, March 5‐9, 2000, Atlanta, Georgia. The authors thank Linda Chiarello, RN, MPH, for her review of the manuscript, and the staff of Mount Sinai Medical Center and Needlestick Committee members for their support and assistance with the project.

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© 2003 by The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. All rights reserved.