Needlestick Safety Alliance Announces Four New Members.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 27, 2003

The National Alliance for the Primary Prevention of Sharps Injuries (NAPPSI), founded by Venetec International, today announced the addition of four new members:

-- Medi-Flex, Inc., a maker of ampulized glass and aseptic skin preparation products;

-- The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN), which promotes safety, health, and productivity in the occupational and environmental health nursing profession;

-- The Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses (APON), the professional organization for pediatric oncology nurses and other pediatric hematology/oncology healthcare professionals;

-- The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), a professional association that represents more than 28,000 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) nationwide.

"Preventing catheter-related bloodstream infections is a key focus of the Medi-Flex product line," noted Steve Bierman, M.D., NAPPSI's president. "No infection means no unscheduled catheter restarts, which means fewer sharps in the workplace -- true primary sharps-injury protection.

"NAPPSI welcomes Medi-Flex, AAOH, APON, and AANA and gratefully acknowledges their contribution to the growing clout NAPPSI has amassed. With the assistance of these leading organizations, our mission to maximize workplace safety -- in every healthcare institution -- moves closer to reality," Dr. Bierman said.

About the new members:

-- Medi-Flex has been a pioneer in bringing the benefits of

chlorhexidine to the United States market. Its skin

preparation products include the ChloraPrep(R) formulation,

which includes chlorhexidine gluconate and has been recognized

by the Centers for Disease Control as being more effective at

reducing skin bacteria than other antiseptics.

"At Medi-Flex, we focus on preventing infection with better skin antisepsis," said William Brandmeyer, product manager. "With an estimated 400,000 nosocomial infections annually in the U.S., these preventable infections represent the fourth-leading cause of mortality among Americans. ChloraPrep helps protect patients from infections caused by bacteria on their own skin. Medi-Flex sees a clear connection between infection control and the patient safety measures advocated by NAPPSI."

-- AAOHN provides education, research, public policy advocacy,

and practice resources to help create healthier and safer

worksites for occupational and environmental health nurses.

With some 10,000 members nationwide. AAOHN is comprised of

more than 160 state, local, and regional chapters across the

country.

"Studies have shown that sharps injuries and other on-the-job hazards that make for unsafe work environments are a major contributor to lost time and disability among healthcare providers -- especially among nurses," said AAOHN President Deb V. DiBenedetto. "Injuries and disabilities fuel the nation's current shortage of nurses, and lessen the profession's attraction as a safe and exciting career choice. Our support for NAPPSI reflects our goal to provide for safe and healthful workplaces, especially in the healthcare sector, and helps us build a stronger foundation for making nursing a viable career choice."

-- APON is dedicated to promoting optimal care for children and

adolescents with cancer and their families. It pursues its

goals through alliances and partnerships, marketing, public

information, policy advocacy, promotion of certification,

definition and dissemination of evidence-based "best practice"

standards, and development of educational opportunities,

programs, and products.

"APON has been a strong supporter of the national effort to provide a safer environment for nurses and other health care workers," said C. J. Hutto, RN, national president. "APON has led the efforts to ensure the safe handling and administration of chemotherapy in pediatric care facilities. This safe handling includes the use of a needleless system. Safety is a top priority of our organization, and we applaud the good work that has been done by NAPPSI."

-- The AANA develops practice standards and guidelines and

provides professional education for nurse anesthetists. The

organization also consults with private and government

entities on issues related to its mission and, through the

AANA Foundation, makes education and research grants that

support the nurse anesthetist profession.

"AANA has been a longstanding advocate of provider safety in the healthcare environment," said Sandra Tunajek, ND, CRNA, Director of Practice. "The association has developed guidelines for infection control and recently launched an awareness campaign for healthcare providers. The AANA is pleased to be involved in the NAPPSI prevention initiatives regarding needles and sharps safety."

Based in Carlsbad, Calif., NAPPSI is a non-profit organization dedicated to minimizing sharps injuries in the healthcare workplace. NAPPSI promotes primary prevention as the first line of defense for accomplishing this goal.

Primary prevention means utilizing technologies and practices that either reduce or eliminate the need to use sharp medical implements. In contrast, secondary prevention renders safer those sharps that must be introduced into the healthcare workplace. NAPPSI supports both approaches, especially when used in a complimentary manner -- that is, using primary prevention where possible, and secondary prevention to fill in the gaps.

NAPPSI utilizes its monthly e-mail newsletter, a national speaker's bureau, public relations, and other activities to inform the media, decisionmakers, and clinicians about the value of primary prevention practices and products. NAPPSI's Clinician Advisory on healthcare worker safety and Needlestick Safety Device List -- which categorizes safety products as either primary or secondary prevention -- are widely disseminated by governmental and clinician organizations.

NAPPSI membership is free to individual clinicians. The organization's membership encompasses professional associations, individual healthcare professionals, and medical device makers.

Other NAPPSI organizational members are:

-- Venetec International, www.Venetec.com, 800/833-3895;

-- Cell Robotics International (OTCBB:CRII),

www.CellRobotics.com, 505/343-1131;

-- Bioject Medical Technologies (NASDAQ:BJCT), www.Bioject.com,

503/639-7221;

-- ICU Medical (NASDAQ:ICUI), www.ICUmed.com, 800/824-7890;

-- ALARIS Medical Systems Inc. (AMEX:AMI), www.alarismed.com,

858/458-7000;

-- Calypte Biomedical Inc. (NASDAQ:CALY), www.Calypte.com,

877/CALYPTE (225-9783);

-- Arrow International (NASDAQ:ARRO), www.arrowintl.com,

800/233-3187;

-- B. Braun Medical, www.BBraunusa.com, 610/691-5400;

-- National Association of Residents and Interns,

www.NARI-assn.com, 800/221-2168 ext. 5;

-- D'Antonio Consultants International Inc.,

www.dantonioconsultants.com, 315/463-4999;

-- Helping Hands Sanctuary of Idaho Inc.,

www.healthcaretraining.org, 208/221-1611;

-- Association of Needle-Free Injection Manufacturers (ANIFM),

315/463-4999;

-- Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA),

www.HIDAnetwork.com, 703/549-4432;

-- ETHICON Inc., www.EthiconInc.com, 908/218-2783;

-- Abbott Laboratories, www.abbotthosp.com, 800/222-6883;

-- The Association of Occupational Health Professionals in

Healthcare (AOHP), www.aohp.org/aohp, 412/749-7328;

-- BD Inc. (Becton Dickinson) (NYSE:BDX), www.bd.com,

201/847-6800;

-- The Infusion Nurses Society (INS), www.INS1.org; 781/440-9408;

-- The National Association of Vascular Access Networks (NAVAN),

www.navannet.org, 888/57-NAVAN (888/576-2826);

-- The American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN),

www.aacn.org, 800/899-2226;

-- Canadian Intravenous Nurses Association (CINA),

www.csotcina.com, 416/445-4516;

-- Phlebotomy West, www.phlebotomywest.com, 925/240-0770;

-- Cook Incorporated, www.cookgroup.com, 800/457-4500;

-- Portex Inc., www.portexusa.com, 603/352-3812;

-- Hema Metrics Inc., www.hemametrics.com, 800/546-5463;

-- Antares Pharma, www.antarespharma.com, 610/458-6200;

-- HDC Corp., www.hdccorp.com, 408/942-7340;

-- Porex Medical Products Inc., www.porex.com, 800/520-7999;

-- Bard Access Systems Inc., www.bardaccess.com, 801/595-0700;

-- Infection Control Today, www.infectioncontroltoday.com,

480/990-1101;

-- The International Association of EMT's and Paramedics (IAEP),

www.iaep.org, 617/376-0220;

-- The Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN),

www.aorn.org, 800/755-2676.

For NAPPSI membership and other information, call 858/350-8623, e-mail [e-mail], or access www.NAPPSI.org.