Welcome to the ISIPS Newsletter!

Every link has been checked prior to publication. However, the most constant part of the internet is change.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

December 1st is World AIDS Day.   ISIPS will be commemorating  this day as the beginning of the first-ever International Sharps Injury Prevention Awareness Month.    Continue to look here for information concerning activities highlighting these important events.

• Managing Infection Control continues to put exceptional articles in their magazine featuring sharps injury prevention.  Be sure to look at these articles!
• SAFE INJECTION GLOBAL NETWORK - also known as SIGN has been extremely helpful in getting information about the International Sharps Injury Prevention Awareness Month to all of their members. SIGN has been set up under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO.) For more information on SIGN go to SAFETY OF INJECTIONS 

NEW ISIPS FEATURE!

Click for 

Today's Health News

Candidates Argue About Health Care

AIDS Rate Among Females Rising in DC

Scots HIV cases highest since 1980s

South African companies count the cost of Aids Vodacom South Africa's largest mobile telephone network has estimated that the HIV Aids epidemic will cut the country's potential market by about a third. Alan Knott-Craig Vodacom's chief executive said the disease would restrict the rapid growth of the South African mobile telephone market to about 19m users as opposed to a potential HIV Aids-free market of nearer 30m users.

Man beaten senseless after confronting car thieves
ICNewcastle, UK -... Denise Dawes, 40, who had clumps of her hair ripped out, says she also faces an anxious wait for the results of hepatitis tests after being bitten during the ...
Jail Header
Colorado Springs Gazette, CO -
... past 18 months. She was bitten by a female inmate, requiring the deputy to undergo AIDS and hepatitis testing. Another inmate scalded ...

Thirty-Seven Inmates Die in Prison

N.J. inmates will get hepatitis C treatment  
New Jersey, the only major state not currently treating prisoners for hepatitis C, announced yesterday that it would cover costs to trea...

Prison death costs state $1 million  
Prison death costs state $1 million Lawsuit alleging shoddy health care, rights violations is settledWashington will pay $1 million to t...

ISIPS MEMBERS IN THE NEWS  

B. Braun Medical Inc. Launches “Ask The B. Braun Safety Expert” Program

Medamicus Reports Third Quarter Results; 23 Percent Growth in Sales Recorded

Medamicus Says Progress in Safety Needles Continues as Customers Sign On To Include Axia RSN(TM) Safety Needle in Procedural Kits

Technology for License or Sale

ISIPS frequently receives calls from interested companies looking to acquire sharps injury prevention products. If you are interested in selling or acquiring new safety technologies that help reduce sharps injuries, register your interest by clicking here.

Immunization Techniques

The Immunization Branch of the California Department of Health Services has prepared an effective video to help train practioners with the best practices for immunization. This informative video teaches immunization methods that are the most effective, least painful, and are competency-based. These Immunization Techniques materials show only safety-engineered needles and syringes , proper use and proper disposal. The materials are available through the California Distance Learning Health Network at www.cdlhn.com.

Monoject™ Magellan

Discover a whole new world of needle safety with the new Monoject™ Magellan Safety Needle.   Monoject™  Magellan is a needle-based safety hypodermic product that promotes clinical flexibility.  It can be activated with the thumb, finger, or any flat surface to minimize training.

The Monoject™ Magellan Safety Syringe Needle Features Include:

• Easy one handed activation

  • Minimizes training and in-service

• Needle based engineering control

  • Promotes clinical flexibility

• Robust safety shield covers entire needle

  • Maximizes protection from sharps injury

• Complete product line

  • Simplifies standardization to safety

For more information click here.

IN THIS ISSUE: 

West Nile can be passed on by blood
... When health officials found that HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, could be transmitted
through blood transfusions in the early1980s, it took time to get a test ...

WHO Ranks Top Health Hazards
ABC News -... In the poorest group, malnutrition was by far the worst health hazard, followed
by unsafe sex which reflects the massive HIV/AIDS burden in those areas. ...

Candidates Argue About Health Care

The Pitfalls of Ear Piercing

Extra care is needed

Blood purifying techniques researched

HIV link not clear in 'Black Death'  

AIDS Rate Among Females Rising in DC

Scots HIV cases highest since 1980s

ISIPS Members

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

MedAmicus

Tyco / Kendall Healthcare

Bio-Plexus

SuturTek Incorporated

Biomedical Disposal

Becton Dickinson

Inviro Medical Devices

B. Braun Medical

Greiner Bio-One Gmbh

Immunization Branch,

California Department of Health Services

DeRoyal 

New Medical Technology

Portex

Retractable Technologies, Inc.

Terumo Medical Corporation

PenJet Corporation

ANFIM - Association of Needle-free Injection Manufacturers    

APIS MEDICAL

Surgilance, Inc.

Safeguard  Medical Devices, Inc.

SafeGard Medical Ltd.

NowMedical, Inc. 

AM LABS

Gimbel Glove 

Univec, Inc.

MYCO MEDICAL

Occupational & Medical Innovations (OMI)

Horizon Medical Products

Medi-SafeGuard Products, Inc. 

Abbott Laboratories, Inc. 

ECM Corporation

Medi-Dose, Inc. - EPS, Inc.

International Association of EMTs and Paramedics

Hema Metrics

Clearstone Health

ITL Corporation

Phlebotomy West  

Eureka Sharps Disposal  

 NEW ISIPS MEMBER

Featured Sharps Safety Product Category

Non-Invasive Hematocrit Monitoring:

The quickest way to measure a person’s hematocrit is by sticking the finger and drawing a blood sample into a capillary tube.  The capillary tube is then spun to separate the red blood cells from the plasma at which time a hematocrit value can then be measured.   Unfortunately, this finger stick can be very uncomfortable and at times can result in painful bruising.  In the blood donation process, many donors believe the finger stick is the most painful part of the blood donation process. 

The Standard method for taking a hematocrit reading involves lancing a finger and then  pulling a blood sample into a capillary tube.  The tube is then spun in a centrifuge.  The amount of red blood cells per unit volume is defined as the hematocrit level.  A novel method for testing hematocrit non-invasively has been developed by Hema Metrics.  The CritScan product is very easy to use. This transcutaneous (through the skin) device non-invasively measures hematocrit and oxygen saturation. Eliminated are the painful needle sticks that must be performed prior to blood donation to screen for anemia.

• Transdermal - no blood sample required
• Non-invasive, no painful finger sticks
• Immediate Hct and Oxygen Sat readings
• Accurate - Equivalent to current standards
• Portable
• No blood exposure
• Economical
• Easy to use - CLIA exempt
• Ideal for blood bank, physician office labs, hospitals, home healthcare, etc.

  

  

For more information about this product - click here.

Safety Lancets for Capillary Blood Collection

The Safety Lancet from Greiner Bio-One provides a simple, patient-friendly puncture.  It is effective for both finger and heel sticks.   The lancet is used for capillary blood collection for neonates and children.

There is a linear relationship between the volume of the blood sample and the depth of the puncture. It is therefore important to use the correct lancet (1.0mm, 1.5mm, 2.0mm) for the respective capillary blood collection (finger, heel).  The Safety Lancet from Greiner Bio-One has various depths to meet the specific need.

For more information click here.

ISIPS Needlestick Prevention / Sharps Injury Prevention

Safer Medical Device Implementation in Health Care Facilities: Lessons Learned

OSHA Bloodborne Fact Sheet 1 -An Overview of the Standard

OSHA Bloodborne Fact Sheet 2 - Protect Yourself When Handling Sharps

OSHA Bloodborne Fact Sheet 3 - Personal Protective Equipment Cuts Risk

OSHA Bloodborne Fact Sheet 4 - Reporting Exposure Incidents

OSHA Bloodborne Fact Sheet 5 - Hepatitis B Vaccination -- Protection For You

OSHA Bloodborne Fact Sheet 6 - Holding the Line on Contamination

AHA SHARPS SAFETY

CCOHS-NEEDLESTICK INJURIES

HIV AND AIDS STATISTICS- GLOBAL DATA

OSHA: PROTECTING HEALTH CARE WORKERS

OSHA SUBJECT PAGE FOR NEEDLE STICKS

OSHA REVISED BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS STANDARD

NIOSH ALERT- PREVENTING NEEDLESTICK INJURIES 

NIOSH - WHAT EVERY WORKER SHOULD KNOW - HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM NEEDLESTICK INJURIES (PDF)  

NEEDLESTICK POWERPOINT PRESENTATION (6/2001) PPT

PREVENTING NEEDLESTICKS. (OSHA- Large PDF)

PREMIER SAFETY INSTITUTE 

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH CARE WORKER SAFETY CENTER

AEGIS HIV BRIEFING

AIDS

ALLAFRICA - AIDS

AMERICAN LIVER FOUNDATION

BLUEPRINT FOR HEALTH-NEEDLESTICKS

CDC HIV/STD/TB PREVENTION NEWS UPDATE

CDC NATIONAL PREVENTION INFORMATION NETWORK

CDC hepatitis C page

CNN: AIDS: 20 YEARS OF AN EPIDEMIC

GLOBAL PROGRAMME ON AIDS

GUARDIAN (U.K.): THE AIDS CRISIS

HEALTH-NEWS.CO.UK

Hepatitis Foundation International

HEPATITIS INFORMATION NETWORK

HIV/AIDS SURVEILLANCE REPORT

INFECTIOUS DISEASE SOCIETY OF AMERICA

JAMA HIV/AIDS INFORMATION CENTER: NEWSLINE

KAISER DAILY HIV/AIDS REPORT

MSNBC: AIDS

THE BODY–AN AIDS AND HIV INFORMATION RESOURCE

USA TODAY – HEALTH-AIDS

YAHOO HIV/AIDS NEWS

YOUANDAIDS

AMERICAN MEDICAL NEWS

AMSO.COM HEALTH CARE HEADLINE

BBC NEWS - HEALTH

BIOSPACE

CNN.COM HEALTH

DISCOVERY'S HEALTH CHANNEL

DOCTOR’S GUIDE

DRKOOP.COM

FAMILY VILLAGE

FAMILYDOCTOR.ORG

GETTINGWELL

HARDIN META DIRECTORY OF INTERNET HEALTH SOURCES

HEALTHATOZ

HEALTHWEB

INTELIHEALTH

LYCOS SEARCHABLE DATABASE

MAYO CLINIC HEALTH OASIS

MD ANDERSON

MED-EXPLORER

MEDIC8.COM – MEDICAL NEWS – U.K.

MEDMARK MEDICAL BOOKMARKS

MERCK MANUAL OF DIAGNOSIS AND THERAPY 

MOREOVER MEDICAL NEWS HEADLINES

MSNBC HEALTH

PUBMED

REUTERS HEALTH

REUTERS HEALTH ELINE

US NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE

UN WIRE

WEBMD.COM

WEBMEDLIT

YAHOO NEWS - HEALTH

Articles written by ISIPS

Managing Infection Control Articles written by ISIPS - [courtesy of Workhorse Publishing] - (PDF files - require Adobe Reader) Be warned that these are large files.

April 2002 - Global Needlestick Prevention Group Formed to Highlight Safety Products

June 2002 Issue - Retractable Needle Syringes - An Ideal Solution to the accidental needlestick problem

August 2002 Issue - The Use of Protective Devices is More than a Suggestion - It's the Law!  Safety Needles for Seldinger Procedures

Safety Posters - PDF files

Safety in the Cardiology and Radiology Lab

1 Page Poster

2 Page Poster

Safety in the Hospital Laboratory

1 Page Poster

2 Page Poster

Click on Acrobat logo above to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Do you have funds to invest in sharps injury prevention technologies?   Several companies are requesting funding of key sharps safety products.  For more information send your name, address, phone number, and email address to info@isips.org

ScrubSafe™ from DeRoyal is a versatile sharps transfer device that was designed and tested by surgical clinicians for passing a wide variety of commonly used sharp instruments. ScrubSafe’s unique functionality features two sloping sides that automatically rotate and cradle scalpels into safely cradled position. Indented central finger guides and an easy-to-handle shape ensures the safe placement and passing of all types and sizes of surgical sharps including scalpels, sutures, trocars, forceps, K-wires, syringes and retractors.

Introcan® Safety™ I.V. Catheter

The Introcan® Safety IV Catheter is the world's first truly passive safety IV Catheter! It is ergonomically designed to minimize accidental needlestick injuries, without changing your technique. The Introcan requires minimal in-servicing and a short learning curve for clinicians. It eliminates the risk of inadvertent activation. Compliance is virtually assured since safety mechanism cannot be bypassed. It features a sharp needle bevel and rounded catheter tip for smooth venipunctures. It has a clear, radiopaque striped material for easier catheter visualization. It is available in both FEP (Teflon®) and polyurethane. The Introcan is available with and without wings.

Click here for more information.