7 0 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J U N E 2 0 2 0
I
t's hard to
believe 20
years have
passed since
the enactment
of the Needlestick
Safety and Prevention
Act. The landmark leg-
islation requires surgi-
cal facilities to identi-
fy, evaluate and imple-
ment safer sharps
devices, maintain a sharps injury log and involve frontline staff in the
evaluation and selection of safety-engineered devices. Over those two
decades, facilities have invested in sharps safety education, aware-
ness and training, as well as the web-based reporting of injuries.
They've encouraged the use of safer sharps alternatives such as
shielded hypodermic needles, sharps containment devices, neutral
zone mats and blunt suture needles. They've implemented changes in
protocols such as double gloving and hands-free passing.
Yet the sharps injury problem persists. Percutaneous injuries in the
surgical environment, particularly those involving curved suture nee-
dles, increased by 6.5% in the eight years following the passage of the
Act. Data gathered by the Massachusetts Sharps Injury Surveillance
System from 2010 to 2015 showed 40% of healthcare sharps injuries
Barbara DiTullio, DNP, RN, MA, CNOR, NEA-BC | Boston
Be Mindful About Sharps Safety
Eliminating sharps injuries demands ensuring staff use proper
handling techniques and safety-engineered devices, and a
singular focus on the task at hand.
CRITICAL CONCENTRATION Eliminating distractions during critical moments of
surgery is as important as staff training.