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Welcome to the ISIPS Newsletter
December 4, 2009 
USA News

USA Health News

Ban lifted for green-card applicants with HIV
A two-decade-old rule kept those with the virus out of the U.S. Now such immigrants will be able to visit the country and apply for legal status.

Former Army nurse gets prison in hepatitis C case
Still, Lewis, the lead prosecutor in the case, argued Jones repeatedly lied about his involvement in the 2004 hepatitis outbreak at William Beaumont and...

Call for HIV tests for all hospital patients in high-risk areas
Pilot schemes aimed at making HIV/Aids testing a routine procedure are under way. Photograph: Manchester Evening News Syndication All patients admitted to...

The Voices of HIV/AIDS in Idaho
Now, more than 33 million people live with HIV/AIDS in this country. In Idaho, that number is approaching 1200. December 1st is World AIDS Day.

PANDEMIC / Spanish flu hits Utahns
Before we started worrying about the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, we were wringing our hands over H5N1 -- the bird flu. And what happened to that virus which...

Global News

Highest HIV in sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa still has the world's highest number of HIV cases, accounting for 67 percent of global infections, a United Nations reports said on Tuesday."An estimated 1.9 million people were newly infected with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa in 2008, bringing to 22.4 million the number of people living with HIV,'' the UNAIDS agency said in a statement.

Over 33M People Worldwide Living With HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS/WHO Report Finds
An estimated 33.4 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS, according to a report released Tuesday in Shanghai by the WHO and UNAIDS that shows "more people are living longer due to the availability of drugs," Reuters/Washington Post reports

HIV Peaked In 1996, According To The United Nations
The number of HIV cases worldwide - 33 million - has remained steady during the last two years and the epidemic peaked in 1996, according to the United Nations, The Associated Press reports

South Africa Will Do More to Fight HIV/AIDS: President
... US capital was made after President Barack Obama's October announcement that the nation would lift entry restrictions on people with HIV, effective Jan.

S. Africa to expand care for HIV mothers, babies
More people are HIV positive here than in any other nation, and Zuma called on South Africans to struggle against AIDS as they had against apartheid.

Avian Flu

Czech Republic-Bird Flu
Some Czechs were threatened by infection of H5N1 bird flu virus from a vaccine developed by the Austrian pharmaceutical company Baxter that was tested on...

New research helps explain why bird flu has not caused a pandemic
Bird flu viruses would have to make at least two simultaneous genetic mutations before they could be transmitted readily from human to human, according to...

Swine Flu

Swine flu has peaked locally; officials warn a third wave is possible
Los Angeles County public health officials today announced that H1N1 flu has likely peaked locally, but they cautioned that a third wave of flu outbreaks is...

China worries after 2 dogs contract swine flu
After the media in China reported that two dogs were infected with the H1N1 virus, people on Tuesday were spotted putting masks onto their pets.

Swine flu claims five on Hajj
Saudi Arabian health authorities reported that five people died of swine flu during the annual hajj pilgrimage, the largest annual gathering in the world.

Vietnam reports deaths from bird flu, swine flu
A 23-year-old man has died of avian influenza, bringing Vietnam's bird-flu death toll to five this year, health officials said Tuesday,...

Finland confirms human-to-pig transmission of A/H1N1 flu
According to the agencies, samples taken from some pigs of a pig farm in Southern Pohjanmaa region, west in the country tested positive for the A/H1N1 flu...

According to Dr. Rick Nappi, "Swine Flu and H1N1, Move Over for the H5N1! Bird ...
Dr. Rick Nappi adds, "H5N1 "bird flu" and "avian flu" could very well be the strain that makes the jump to simple transmission or it may be another of the...

Concerns Grow Over Possible H1N1-H5N1 'Reassortment,' Other Mutations
... influenza authorities are becoming increasingly concerned that the 2009 A-H1N1 flu virus could “reassort” with the highly virulent H5N1 avian flu that's...

LA County officials say swine flu may have peaked
Public health officials say a wave of swine flu cases in Los Angeles County may have peaked but an influx of holiday visitors could lead to...

Swine flu kills four in Saudi Arabia on Hajj pilgrimage
Four pilgrims have died of swine flu as they take part in this year's annual Mecca pilgrimage, Saudi officials say. Three of the victims - a woman from...

H1N1 Swine Flu mutation found in Norway
Monitoring for mutations in the 2009 H1N1 swine flu virus or changes in H1N1 swine flu symptoms remains constant by the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance...

Medical News

New Study Released on World AIDS Day Measures HIV Anti-Retroviral Regimens...
The study, A5202, examined the safety and efficacy of four once-daily anti-retroviral regimens as initial therapy for HIV-1 infection.

Study seems to explain why hepatitis B hits men harder than women
These liver proteins may possibly assist in explaining the very old mystery of why the hepatitis B virus (HBV)...

West Nile

Denton man died of West Nile virus, family says
A 66-year-old Denton man died Sunday from the West Nile virus, his family said. Charlie Mac Sweatman had been sick for...

Sharps Containers

Your ALT-Text here

At Bemis, the first priority in sharps container development is safety--safety for your patients and your staff. All units are designed for safe use, effectively blocking hand access from discarded sharps. Units snap together, permanently locking with tight seams between the bases and covers. Walls are puncture-resistant too, meeting or exceeding ASTM standards.

Bemis Large Capacity Sharps and Chemotherapy Containers are available in eight- and eleven-gallon capacity.

Designed for high volume use in pharmacy, OR, lab, dialysis, ER and X-ray, these containers provide convenient, safe disposal of a variety of sharps, infectious waste and chemotherapy waste.

Fore more information click here. 

Baxa logo

Baxa has produced quality polypropylene connectors that connect a male luer to syringes, tube sets, repeating syringes, bag ports and other containers.

Rapid-Fill™ Connectors from BAXA

These connectors can replace cumbersome and potentially dangerous needle-based systems.

For more information click here.
In This Issue

Congratulations!

ISIPS, the International Sharps Injury Prevention Society, along with Managing Infection Control Magazine, honors 5 recipients with 2009 International Sharps Injury Prevention Awards. It was announced earlier today that five recipients are being honored for reducing sharps injuries with an International Sharps Injury Prevention Award with additional recipients receiving honorable mention awards.

2009 Award Winners - Presenting this year’s distinguished winners:

• Lisa Black

• Lucinda Brown

• Mary Hotaling

• Joseph Howard

• Margaret Lampark

To read the press release click here. 

Santas Lobby for Swine Flu Vaccine - Better watch out, better not cough: Santas want priority on the H1N1 vaccine list.
Forget cookies and milk. Santa wants the swine flu vaccine. Many of the nation's Santas want to be given priority for the vaccine and not just because of those runny-nosed kids. There's also the not-so-little matter of that round belly. Research has suggested obesity could be a risk factor.

Patient Files Suit Against St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City as a Result of the Alleged Use by the Hospital of an HIV Infected Device During a Routine Procedure
Milvia Lopez, by her attorney MICHAEL STEWART FRANKEL, of New York City, recently filed suit, in Supreme Court, New York County, bearing Index # 112888/2009. The complaint alleges that while Ms. Lopez underwent a routine transesophageal echocardiogram ("TEE") at ST. VINCENT'S HOSPITAL, doctors used an HIV infected scope exposing her to HIV.

Frequency of medical students' needlesticks often underreported
In a recent survey, 59% of US surgical residents questioned said they had sustained a needlestick as a medical student, many noting they were stuck more...

Needle injuries often not reported by med students
That totem pole really creates a lot of pressure not to speak up about safety issues, particularly things like needlesticks." Makary and colleagues surveyed...

Woman living with HIV talks to help others prevent disease
Gordon found out she had HIV in 1994. But she continued down a destructive addiction to crack cocaine, alcohol and denial before coming clean seven years...
OSHA Violations
...recent citations issued
Sedona Med Spa

Alpharetta, GA

$3,675

 Failure to have an exposure control plan

Failure to make Hepatitis B vaccination available after the employee has received  training and within 10 working days.

Immediately or as soon as possible after use, contaminated reusable sharps shall be placed in appropriate containers until properly reprocessed

Employers shall ensure that the worksite is maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.

The employer shall assure that employees who decline to accept hepatitis B vaccination offered by the employer sign the statement in Appendix A.
Offices and Clinics of Dentists

Pueblo, CO

$3,150

Failure to have an updated exposure control plan

Each employer who has an employee(s) with occupational exposure shall prepare an exposure determination.

Hepatitis B vaccination shall be made available after the employee has received the training and within 10 working days of initial assignment to all employees who have occupational exposure.

Failure to make Hepatitis B vaccination available after the employee has received  training and within 10 working days.V

Inadequate training program

Training records shall include the following information:
The dates of the training sessions;
The contents or a summary of the training sessions;
The names and qualifications of persons conducting the training; and
The names and job titles of all persons attending the training sessions.
Training records shall be maintained for 3 years from the date on which the training occurred.
Vascular Solutions, P.C.

Charlotte, NC

$350

 Failure to have an exposure control plan

Failure to make Hepatitis B vaccination available after the employee has received  training and within 10 working days.

The employer shall establish and maintain an accurate record for each employee with occupational exposure. This record shall include: The name and social security number of the employee; A copy of the employee's hepatitis B vaccination status including the dates of all the hepatitis B vaccinations and any medical records relative to the employee's ability to receive vaccination

ISIPS Corporate Members

Please click on any ISIPS member below to view their sharps safety products!

Amgen

Covidien

B. Braun Medical, Inc.

Becton Dickinson

Inviro Medical Devices, Inc.

Greiner Bio-One GmbH

Immunization Branch-California Dept. of Health Services

Smiths Medical

Retractable Technologies Inc.

Terumo Medical Corporation

ANFIM - Association of Needle-free Injection Mfrs

Angiodynamics

Medi-Dose, Inc. - EPS, Inc.

International Association of EMTs and Paramedics

ITL Corporation

Bemis Manufacturing Company

Maximus Medical

Qlicksmart Pty Ltd

Milestone Scientific

Baxa Corporation

LifeChoice Donor Services

3M

Canadian Intravenous Nurses Association (CINA)

Sarstedt

Myco Medical

Health Care Logistics, Inc.

Center for Phlebotomy Education, Inc.

Managing Infection Control Magazine

The Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals

Kawasumi Laboratories America

Starr Systems, LLC

Owen Mumford

West Pharmaceutical Services

Luminetx Corporation

Sandel Medical Industries

Infusive Technologies, LLC

Jai Surgicals Ltd.

Onyx Medical

Allen Medical Systems

AngioTech

DC Surgical Solutions

Bard Access Systems

Access Scientific

Sanofi-AVentis

Navilyst

Purple Surgical International, Ltd.

Cory Bros Ltd.

Advanced Medical Innovations

Kinamed

Unilife

Sharpsfree

Peak Surgical

ICU Medical

Safety Lady LLC

Sharps Compliance, Inc.

Ethicon, Inc.

Advantage Medical Devices

Real Needlestick and
Blood Exposure Stories

I had my 1st needlestick while drawing blood work on a maternity floor. Although HIV seroconversion is low in needlesticks, Hepatitis isn't, so the 1st thing I did was ask the nurse to pull her chart and find out if the patient I stuck had anything "I should be concerned about." The nurse said all screens came back negative, which relieved me.

However, I still went to employee health, and got tested. Yes, it came back negative, but also remember that you can test negative for a long time before it shows up. Luckily, the new p-24 antigen testing that blood banks and centers do now closes the HIV infection window to as little as a month. I was lucky, but Mr. Murphy is always lurking in the background, waiting.    Better safe than dead.

Featured Safety Product

The sharps disposal by mail system represents the first complete disposal system pioneered for simplified management of used needles, syringes and other small quantities of medical waste.  The sharps disposal by mail system is a government approved system comprised of a specially designed mailable sharps container, a post each prepaid return shipping box, and instructions in both English and Spanish.  These systems are available in 1 quart, 1 gallon, 2 gallon, 3 gallon and 18 gallon systems.

For more information click here

LifeChoice Donor Services

LifeChoice Donor Services is dedicated to fostering community and professional support of organ and tissue donation, providing compassionate care for families, and saving and improving lives. We do this by also protecting the lives of our workers by using sharps injury prevention products during the procurement of organ donations it is important to be a part of an organization committed to minimizing the to bloodborne pathogens. We are always searching for new products that may make our job safer.  

For more information call (860) 286-3124.
ISIPS Articles

Managing Infection Control articles written by Ron Stoker

2009

October 2009- Preventing Injuries from Glass Ampoule Shards-Advances in glass ampoule breakers

August 2009-What's New in Clinical Safety Education-New computer-based training can energize and captivate your staff

August 2009- Advances in Electrosurgery-Safety and economic benefits for patients, surgeons and hospitals

May 2009 - Advances in Needleless Connectors-Technologies assist in Prevention of Bloodstream Infections

April 2009 - Safety Enhancements for Blood Culture Processing-Protecting Staff From Harm

April 2009 - Neuropathy Testing - One of the Challenges of Diabetes

April 2009 - Where to Find Safety Products - Part Four

March 2009 - Accelerated Seldinger Technique - A faster, safer method for diagnostic and interventional procedures

March 2009 - Sharps Safety Matters - Where to find Safety Products - Part Three

February 2009 - Advances in Internal Bone Fixation - Sharps Safety for Orthopedic Surgeons

February 2009 - Sharps Safety Matters! - Where to find Safety Products Part 2

January 2009-  Advances in Blood Drawing Using Evacuated Tubes - Improving Patient and Clinician Safety

January 2009 - Sharps Safety Matters! - Where to find Safety Products Part I

2008

December 2008 - 2008 International Sharps Injury Prevention Awards

December 2008 - Zero Sharps Injuries - A Goal we can live with! Reducing Exposures in the Operating Room

November 2008 - Sharps Injuries - just part of the job, right?

October 2008 - Turning Point - New Safety Scalpel Handle System provides safety features and familiar feel

October 2008 - Eye Can See Clearly Now - the Positive use of face shields as PPE

September 2008 - Safety Scalpels - State of the Market Report

August 2008 Revolutionary Designs - New passive, self-sheathing safety syringe

August, 2008 - New Technology Replaces Multiple Syringes-Prevent contamination of IV lines and associated infections.

June 2008 - One Less Problem - Safe Practices When Administering IV Therapy

May 2008 - Scalpel Safety - Protecting patients and clinicians

May 2008 - Innovation in Vascular Access - Accidental needlestick injuries decreased via the utilization of the VeinViewer

April 2008 - Working in Harms Way - Understanding Sharps Safety Compliance

April 2008 - PPE Practices - Use of Personal Protective Equipment in Satellite Locations

March 2008  - Sharps Safety Matters - Where to find safety products? Part 2 of our annual sharps safety product review.

March 2008 - Simply Safe- Providing safety for the needle that saves lives

February 2008 - Sharps Safety Matters - Where to find safety products? Part 1 of our annual sharps safety product review.

2007

December 2007 - Spreading the Word for Safer Sharps- 2007 International Sharps Injury Prevention Awards

November 2007 GET THE POINT? Laparoscopic surgery-protecting healthcare workers from sharps injuries due to trocars

November 2007 - A Fortune to Share -Changing attitudes toward sharps safety.

October 2007-New sheriff in town-common and costly doctors' office blood-borne pathogen standard violations.

September 2007 Advances in Safety in Cardiology
Reducing the potential of bloodborne pathogen exposure for healthcare workers.

September 2007 Safety Doesn’t Just Happen
Staff safety—is there a culture of safety at your facility?

August 2007 - Innovative Syringe Management System -For home users—and some healthcare workers— there’s an exciting development in sharps safety

June 2007 - OSHA’s Most Cited Hospital Violations - Strategies for Creating a Safe Workplace

June 2007 - Safety in the Hospital Pharmacy-Prevent Staff Injury and Exposure to Toxic Materials with Safety Devices

May 2007 - OR Safety - Improvements in Sharps Safety in the Operating Room

May 2007- Safety Product Review - Use Safety Products to Improve Staff and Patient Safety.

April 2007- Needlestick Safety-Not just a U.S. problem.

Feb 2007 A Change Of Heart - Set Goals To Improve Your Teams Safety

Jan 2007 Stuck at Work - Use Safety Blood Draw Products To Avoid Needlestick Injuries

2006

December 2006 - Cutting the Cord  -  cutting, clamping, and obtaining blood samples from the umbilical cord

November 2006  - Don’t You Have Enough to Worry About Already? Single-Use vs. Reusable Sharps Disposal Containers

September 2006 -Evaluating Safety Products - Decision Making in the Selection of Safety Products

August 2006 -Safety Peripheral IV Catheters - State of the market report

June 2006 BESIDE THE POINT: Safety Huber Needles 2006 - State of the Market Report

May 2006 - Zero Needlesticks— A Goal We Can Live With! Current OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Citations

April 2006 - A Change of Heart - Set Goals to Change Your Team's Sharps Safety

February 2006 - How Can You Tell If Your OSHA inspection is going poorly?  Part II

January 2006 - How You Can Tell If Your OSHA Inspection Is Going Poorly? Preparing for an OSHA Inspection - Part I

January 2006 Sharps Injury Prevention Resource Guide 

Additional Articles

Anatomy of Needlestick Injury; Ron Stoker, Business Briefing: Global Healthcare- Advanced Medical Technologies 2004- Infection Control and Epidemiology
Needlestick Injury Prevention, Ron Stoker, Business Briefing: Global Healthcare 2003

Specially designed syringes maximize flue vaccine supply - Syringes reduce costs and and increase healthcare worker safety and patient comfort
Evaluation of The BD IntegraTM 3ml Syringe with Retracting BD PrecisionGlide™ Needle at Texas Children’s Hospital and Test-Med

Safety Wound Closure Presentation
Sharps Safety - Gaps and successes of safety device market conversion  By Amber Hogan
Technology and the engineering of safety devices has increased since the promulgation of the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (BPS) (29 CFR 1910.1030) in 1991. As a result, OSHA revised its enforcement procedures in 1999 (CPL 02-02-069) to include guidance for its compliance safety and health officers to begin citing health care employers for failure to use safety devices where their use is feasible and effective.

Not Just painful, Deadly! Patients aren't the only ones scared of Needles  By Ron Stoker
Future Healthcare, Summer 2006 p 121-3

Links
Compendium of Infection Control Technologies

Digital Edition

The Compendium of Infection Control Technologies - Digital Edition is now available.
The digital edition comes on a CD that is readable from any computer and contains a PDF version of the Compendium with over 200 devices highlighted with a Device Evaluation Form designed for each.

 It also includes:

  • Over 50 articles written on sharps safety products that have been published in Managing Infection Control magazine.
  • All significant OSHA Interpretation Letters since the passage of the revised OSHA
  • Bloodborne Pathogen Standard.
  • OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standard
  • Enforcement Procedures for the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standard
  • Most frequently asked questions about the Standard
  • NIOSH Needlestick Alert
  • CDC Workbook on Designing a Sharps Injury Prevention Program
  • Model Exposure Control Plan
  • Hepatitis Vaccination Declination Form
  • Most Comprehensive List of Safety Products
  • And More...

The Compendium of Infection Control Technologies is only $89.95.  It will save you literally hundreds of hours in searching for safety products.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE COMPENDIUM!
 

© Copyright 2009 International Sharps Injury Prevention Society
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