ETHIGUARD* Blunt Point Needles

Protect yourself and your patients—without compromising performance
“ There is compelling published evidence to support routine use of blunt suture needles to minimize sharps injuries during closure of fascia and muscle.”
American College of Surgeons (2007 meeting statement)1

Better protection from needlestick injuries
ETHIGUARD Blunt Point Needle is an innovative solution that helps protect you and your patients from needlestick injuries, providing you with a better needle option.

 

 

A solution to a costly problem

  • Over 384,000 healthcare workers in the US suffer needlestick injuries each year, putting them at risk for hepatitis, HIV, and other serious diseases2
  • The annual cost of needlestick injuries to hospitals is approximately $258 million3
    — The follow-up costs for high-risk exposure needlestick injury is almost $3,000 even if no infection occurs4
  • A 2007 New England Journal of Medicine study report found that 99% of surgical residents had at least one needlestick injury by their final year of training—53% involving high-risk patients5
  • Four prospective randomized trials have demonstrated notable benefits from use of blunt suture needles6
  • ETHIGUARD Blunt Point Needles and conventional taper point needles both have a 12:1 taper ratio

Choose protection without compromising performance
Decrease the incidence of injury

  • Blunt-point geometry allows for easy soft-tissue penetration

Minimize bleeding and tissue trauma

  • ETHIGUARD Blunt Point Needle does not cause any more additional bleeding or patient trauma than a conventional taper needle7
  • Its heat-treated, stainless steel alloy delivers optimal strength and ductility to resist bending and breaking

Use with ease

  • ETHIGUARD Blunt Point Needle is proven to be effective and user-friendly7

Increase precision

  • A ribbed and flattened body affords stability in the needle holder, for improved protection against slipping

ETHIGUARD Blunt Point Needle meets the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act standards

  • A 2007 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) bulletin states that8:
    — OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health strongly recommend the use of blunt-tip suture needles in surgical procedures to reduce the risk of percutaneous injuries to surgical personnel
    — Employers in workplaces that use suture needles must evaluate their use according to the Bloodborne Pathogens standard of blunt-tip suture needles
  • The American College of Surgeons declared in 2005 that8:
    — “All published studies to date have demonstrated that the use of blunt suture needles can substantially reduce or eliminate needle-stick injuries from surgical needles.”

The value you need with the protection they deserve

"Though cost is often cited as a factor for not using safer devices, it is actually a savings when you consider the cost of treating the individual once a [needlestick] injury occurs.”
Nancy Quick, Compliance Assistance Specialist
Occupational Safety and Health Administration9
References:
  1. American College of Surgeons. Statement on sharps safety. http://www.facs.org.fellows_info/statements/st-58.html. Accessed October 27, 2008.
  2. Panlilio AL, Orelien JG, Srivastava PU, et al. Estimate of the annual number of percutaneous injuries among hospital-based healthcare workers in the United States,1997-1998. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2004;25:556-562.
  3. Jagger J, Bentley M, Juillet E. Direct cost of follow-up for percutaneous and mucocutaneous exposures to at-risk body fluids: data from two hospitals. Preventing Occupational Exposures to Bloodborne Pathogens. Charlottesville, VA: International Healthcare Worker Safety Center; 2004:54-56.
  4. International Council of Nurses. ICN on preventing needlestick injuries. http://www.icn.ch/matter_needles.htm. Accessed October 27, 2008.
  5. Makary MA, Al-Attar A, Holzmueller CG, et al. Needlestick injuries among surgeons in training. N Engl J Med. 2007;356:2693-2699.
  6. Berguer R, Heller PJ. Preventing sharps injuries in the operating room. J Am Coll Surg. 2004;199:462-467.
  7. Davis M. Advanced Precautions for Today’s O.R.: The Operating Room Professional’s Handbook for the Prevention of Sharps Injuries and Bloodborne Exposures. Atlanta, GA: Sweinbinder Publications, LLC; 2001:53-64.
  8. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Use of Blunt-Tip Suture Needles to Decrease Percutaneous Injuries to Surgical Personnel. NIOSH, US Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration; 2007.
  9. The Joint Commission. Preventing needlestick and sharps injuries. http://www.jointcommission.org/SentinelEvents/SentinelEventAlert/sea_22.htm. Accessed October 27, 2008.
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© Ethicon, Inc. 2009
Last Updated on July 23, 2009 11:26 pm
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This site is published by Ethicon, Inc., which is solely responsible for the content.
It is intended for healthcare professionals in the United States.