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 Welcome to the ISIPS Newsletter
July 9, 2010 
USA News

USA Health News

VA hospital may have infected 1,800 veterans with HIV
A Missouri VA hospital is under fire because it may have exposed more than 1,800 veterans to life-threatening diseases such as hepatitis and HIV.

1,800 Vets May Have Been Exposed to HIV, Hepatitis: What Went Wrong?
A Veterans Affairs hospital in Missouri may have exposed more than 1,800 veterans to HIV and other life-threatening diseases due to improperly cleaned dental instruments.

Police: Man With HIV Didn't Tell Partner
A man with HIV had....for several months with a woman he met at a night club but never told her he had the virus, according to Jacksonville police.

Nigaila Gibbs, Spreads HIV To 100 Dudes
Nigaila Gibbs might be the worst woman in history, the HIV infected ...from St. Louis County may have unknowingly infected hundreds of local men.

HIV scare causing new problems for Veterans Affairs
Lawmakers plan to hold hearings next week in St. Louis after the Department of Veterans Affairs informed more than 1,800 veterans treated there that they may have been exposed to HIV.

Global News

Half of PIMS patients suffer from hepatitis
Hepatitis C was identified in 1989. WHO estimates that 3% of world population is infected with hepatitis C and around 170mn individuals are chronic carriers...

Kenya Launches Safe Blood Collection Effort
The testing and screening of blood have become a big part of fighting HIV / AIDS in developing countries.

Hundreds of hospital patients face HIV tests after healthcare worker found to be infected
Hundreds of hospital patients have been asked to undergo testing after it was found a healthcare worker who treated them may have been infected with HIV.

The perils Kenyan medics meet
For the one year that Dr Brian Akaum has been practicing in the medical profession, he has accidentally pricked himself countless times with a syringe while attending to patients.

Kamloops hospital's sterilizers break down
B.C's Royal Inland Hospital is having more problems with its steam sterilization unit after all three of the high-temperature autoclaves used to clean surgical instruments broke down this week

Deadline nears for tainted blood payout
As a deadline approached Wednesday for Canadians who received tainted blood to apply for compensation, lawyers said they were concerned funding is running out.

Zimbabwe HIV Prevalence Rate Slips to 13 Percent as Men Change Their Ways
Behavioral change by Zimbabwean men has helped lower the HIV prevalence rate – the percentage of adults infected with the AIDS virus – from 16 percent in...

Study says increasing HIV drug treatment will save millions through prevention
A study by Vancouver researchers suggests increasing drug treatment for people infected with HIV will prevent new cases and could save almost $1...

Report: Nearly 12 Percent of Mozambique Population is HIV/AIDS Positive
A Mozambique government report says nearly 12 percent of the population between the ages of 11 and 49 is infected with the HIV virus or has AIDS.

Avian Flu

Avian flu identified in songbirds
Ducks and other waterfowl have long been known to be carriers of avian flu. Now, UCLA scientists have found...

Swine Flu

An overview on the Influenza Genome Sequencing Project
As of mid-2010, over 5300 human and avian flu viruses had been sequenced. There are still literally thousands of flu viruses waiting to be sequenced.

Woman tests positive for swine flu
Blood samples and a throat swab from her, sent to Kings Institute in Chennai, confirmed that she has swine flu. The patient, who hails from Ilayangudi,...

First swine flu death for 2010
A Bay of Plenty woman is believed to be the country's first death from swine flu this year. The woman, whose details have not been released,...

Medical News

A new opportunity for hepatitis C research
The hepatitis C virus is highly specialised. We humans are its natural hosts. The only other living organisms that could be infected with the hepatitis C...

HIV Stem Cell Therapy in Mice Is Successful
Researchers are reporting that a new method for altering the genes of immune cells to make them resistant to HIV infection was a success in mice.

UCLA develops holographic, cell phone-powered microscope
Scientists are going to perform research on HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, with the help of a cell phone and a brand new kind of microscope.

California Scientists Develop HIV Resistant Cells
A team of California scientists has developed HIV resistant cells. The University of Southern California...

West Nile

West Nile virus makes late debut
There are early signs that West Nile virus may not be as serious as in past summers. No humans have been infected this year in the Inland Empire.

Wet conditions prompt West Nile concerns
While the risk of West Nile virus is similar across age groups, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates older age...

State's first West Nile case confirmed in Weld County
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has received its first confirmed case of West Nile virus in 2010. The first case to be confirmed...

First WNV Case Reported
South Dakota's first West Nile virus (WNV) case of the 2010 season is a Brown County resident in the 20-29 age group, the Department of Health reported...

Mosquito population doubles
The mosquitoes that are breeding at such a high rate are not the ones that spread the West Nile virus. "West Nile is a yearly concern in the state of Iowa,...

CDC Announces West Nile Virus On the Decline
Although the number of West Nile Virus cases has decreased dramatically, people are urged to continue with the same diligence they have in the past.

Baxa logo

The Exacta-Mix 2400 is the state-of-the-art for automated compounding of multi-source parenteral fluids.  Its closed system combines macro and micro ingredient delivery in a single device.  The EM2400 mixes up to 24 discrete source ingredients, and delivers accurately to within ± 3%.  Bar code technology provides source container identification and patient verification.  Its integrated computer and scale complement Windows-based software for ease of use and facilitate user training.

Exacta-Mix™ 2400 Compounder (EM2400)

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.
In This Issue

It’s “all-or-none” when it comes to post-op infection prevention measures
For the last four years participating hospital have used six post-operative infection prevention measures from the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP), including public reporting on compliance with those measures.

Join the experts for infection prevention guidance on developing a mandatory flu shot policy for healthcare workers
If concern about low rates of flu shots among healthcare workers has always been on the front burner, then last year’s H1N1 pandemic and the adoption of mandatory flu shots by some organizations raised matters to the boiling point.

Are there germs on your sleeves? New lab coat technology could kill infections
Lab coats and hospital scrubs have come under scrutiny as more health experts express concern that dangerous pathogens could be hiding on the sleeves of lab coats.

Medical Environment Update—Evaluating the possibility of an OSHA infectious diseases standard
The feature topic in the July issue of Medical Environment Update looks at how a new infectious diseases standard would affect compliance within medical facilities.

Ask the expert: A hazardous substance list for your practice
Must a medical practice create a list of all hazardous substances used in the workplace? It seems as if the MSDS file already covers that information.

Time frame for spiking IV bags
Do you have a regulation regarding how long an IV bag should be spiked before using it? I can’t seem to find any info on this. The IV has no added medications.

Tracing the spread of HIV back to its source
Safety measures need to be strictly implemented to control the transmission of the HIV infection in Pakistan through migrant labourers who contract the virus from sex workers abroad, urges a medical study.

Another Hero Of The Anti-Vaccine Movement Bites The Dust
Prof. Salzberg introduces Mr. Haley as a “hero of the antivaccine movement” for his outspoken positions on mercury, especially on thimerosal and autism. Prof. Salzberg poses and answers his own question

Global Health Leaders to Sound Alarm on Dual Crises of HIV, Discrimination...
Only two percent of the Conference's sessions explicitly address the stunningly disproportionate impact of HIV and AIDS among...

Scientists Hope to Use Gene Therapy to Treat HIV
Scientists have learned there may be a way to prevent the spread of HIV by using genetic therapy. The process has been tested on mice and will hopefully...

Ask the expert: Sharps container disposal height
What is the OSHA regulation height for sharps disposal containers?

Ask the expert: On-site laundering
My doctor’s office is considering doing laundry in-house rather than sending laundry to an outside contractor. Are there any OSHA rules regarding the placement of washers and dryers in a physician’s office?

Possible HIV exposures linked to improperly cleaning dental equipment
A St. Louis Veteran’s Affairs (VA) hospital has recently come under fire for improper sterilization procedures that could have exposed nearly 1,812 patients to HIV and hepatitis, according to CNN affiliate KSDK.

OSHA explains what’s behind the push for an infectious diseases standard
The July issue of Medical Environment Update looks at how a new infectious diseases standard would affect compliance within medical facilities.

Are there germs on your sleeves? New lab coat technology could kill infections
Lab coats and hospital scrubs have come under scrutiny as more health experts express concern that dangerous pathogens could be hiding on the sleeves of lab coats.

Antibody Discovered for 91% of HIV Strains
US government scientists have discovered three powerful antibodies, the strongest of which neutralizes 91% of HIV strains, more than any...

OSHA Violations
...citations issued
Offices and Clinics of Doctors of Medicine

Phoenix, AZ

 The employer shall assure that employees who decline to accept hepatitis B vaccination offered by the employer sign the statement in Appendix A.
Norton Sound Health Corporation

Nome, AK

$1,875

 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.
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.

tip-top

Global Medi Products

Real Needlestick and
Blood Exposure Stories

I work in a family practice clinic that also has a very busy walk-in clinic. We do a lot of minor surgical procedures there and generate a lot of instruments. We share the nurses station as well as all our equipment with the family practice next door to us so the nurse that works there and I take turns keeping our instruments clean and sterilized. This month is her turn. Yesterday she was stuck in the finger by a suture needle that was left clamped in a needle driver.
Used instruments are soaked in a container with disinfectant then they are scrubbed clean with more disinfectant and a brush, rinsed and left on a tray to dry before being pouched and autoclaved. The nurse had cleaned the instruments on Tuesday and on Thursday (yesterday) started to assemble the sets. That's when she was stuck by the suture needle. It was on the drying tray. The needle was stuck to the teeth of the driver, she had to give it a good knock against the inside of a specimen cup to get it off. We don't know if it had soaked in the disinfectant and she accidentally missed the driver while cleaning it or if one of the docs put it on the drying tray thinking they were dirty instruments. Bottom line was that one of the docs had left that needle behind. What's worse is that this isn't the first time that sharps have been left behind for us to deal with (I found a scalpel blade still on the handle in the solution. ) but this is the first time someone has been hurt. To add to the turmoil, we have no idea which patient this came from so we had to call all the patients who had sutures done in the last week. Thankfully there weren't many and we will be asking them all to have a blood test done to check for HIV and hepatitis. Unfortunately, one patient has refused. I don't know what the legality of all this is and I'm not sure what the nurse and the clinic will do about this. But I am so upset because it's something that just SHOULDN'T have happened. Aren't docs taught in med school how to dispose of sharps properly???

Featured Safety Product

The S-Monovette® is an enclosed multiple-sampling blood collection system that utilizes either an aspiration or vacuum method of collection.  The aspiration method of collection virtually eliminates syringe draws and provides a closed connection for line draws.  The system includes tubes in a full range of volumes and additives, multi-sampling needles with pre-assembled holders, needle protection devices, and safety winged blood collection sets.

Safety Features and Benefits:

Using the S-Monovette® aspiration method of collection minimizes needlestick injuries by eliminating the practice of drawing blood from a vein or in-line system into a syringe and back sticking into a blood tube. The all-plastic screw cap tubes minimize breakage and the aerosol effect. The multi-sampling needles with pre-assembled holders are not reusable and prevent any risk of needlestick injury that may occur by unscrewing a contaminated needle from the holder.

Click here for more information

Exiting Webinar

Near Infrared: Taking Vascular Access to the Next Level

ISIPS is presenting another lunchtime webinar to educate about a new product that can reduce the number of needlesticks inflicted on a patient and reduce needlestick exposures for clinicians.

This session will show how VeinViewer’s revolutionary near infrared, direct-imaging system can help improve the success of venipuncture procedures by reducing the number of stick attempts, increasing potential venous targets, reducing access time and increasing patient satisfaction. Dr. Schears will discuss the technology and its use for pre and post-assessment during IV procedures. Learn more about VeinViewer’s state of the art technology: how it works and its many advantages for venous access. Discover the potential for detecting IV patency and possible infiltration, and how to choose the best insertion site.  VeinViewer will take venous access to the next level.

participants in the webinar will have the opportunity of winning a garmin gps!

Click here to register for the webinar and the Garmin GPS!

ISIPS Articles

Managing Infection Control articles written by Ron Stoker

2009

December 2009- Advances in Insulin Syringes  - New Passive Insulin Syringe protects from Needlestick Injury

December 2009- Making a Difference in Sharps Safety - 2009 International Sharps Injury Prevention Awards

November 2009- Facing the Challenges of  CR-BSI's - Evaluate, Plan  an Implement Decisions to reduce the rate of catheter-related bloodstream infections.

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  
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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