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O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4
6. Safety IV
catheters
While safety IV
catheters have been
largely implemented,
workers are still getting
stuck, especially if they
aren't activating the
safety feature. Safety IV
catheters are either
active, which means the
safety engineering is
manually activated, or
passive, in which case it
is automatic. Ms.
Diffenderfer notes that
when it comes to pas-
sive vs. active, passive
safety IV catheters are her preferred option. But she notes that it's
important for each facility to find what works for them. "If half the
people who trial it say they hate it, you'll have a very low adoption
rate," she says. "Be open to listening and modifying."
Reducing sharps injuries from IV systems isn't just about the
catheters. Needleless IV tubing removes the risk of uncapped hollow-
bore needles piercing the tubing if it's bent or twisted. By using the
needleless system, Ms. Rodriguez says, there's been a "substantial
reduction in sharps injuries." OSM
E-mail
k g a pinsk i@outpatientsurg ery.net
.
S H A R P S S A F E T Y
NEEDLELESS Unlike traditional IV
systems, needleless IV systems
don't have uncapped hollow-bore
needles left in the tubing.
Margaret
Rodriguez,
CST,
CSFA,
FAST,
BS