StatLock Launches Needlestick Safety Information Program.

Business Editors &Health/Medical Writers

BIOWIRE2K

SAN DIEGO--(BW HealthWire)--Jan. 24, 2000

Venetec International, makers of StatLock catheter securement devices, today announced the launch of the Needlestick Safety Information Program (NSIP).

The free nationwide program helps healthcare decision-makers comply with new federal directives and state laws, which are designed to protect healthcare workers against accidental needlesticks.

NSIP will aid risk managers and others who are responsible for implementing needlestick prevention programs at hospitals, home health-care companies and other facilities. The program includes a free instruction manual and onsite orientation.

Healthcare organizations face multiple new requirements to provide their workers with current technologies that protect against accidental needlesticks.

Among these requirements are a new Compliance Directive issued by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and strict new laws in five states, including California, Texas and New Jersey.

The NSIP instruction manual, &uot;Protecting Healthcare Workers from Needlesticks,&uot; includes:

    --   Sections on the relevant laws and directives;

    --   An overview of needlestick-safety device lists;

    --   Forms for assessing needlestick prevention technology;

    --   Clinical studies

The summary of laws and directives provides details on the new OSHA requirements, CDC guidelines and state legislation. Helpful forms for assessing needlestick-prevention technology are drawn from information distributed by ECRI and TDICT, nationally recognized technology-assessment groups. The clinical studies provide published, peer-reviewed data on how catheter securement prevents needlesticks.

The new OSHA directive mandates that employers &uot;must use engineering and work practice controls that eliminate occupational exposure or reduce it to the lowest feasible extent.&uot;

Suture and IV stylet needles account for much of this occupational exposure, according to the nationally recognized Exposure Prevention Information Network (EPINet). Nearly one-third of accidental needlesticks documented by EPINet are from suture needles or IV stylets.

The OSHA directive refers employers to safety lists compiled by EPINet and the state of California. StatLock catheter securement devices are included on both of these lists as needlestick prevention technology.

&uot;Our goal is to use better catheter securement to eliminate 100 million needles a year from the biohazard stream,&uot; said Steve Bierman, M.D., the CEO and medical director of Venetec International. &uot;This new educational program is part of Venetec's commitment to take the lead in promoting the primary prevention of accidental needlesticks and to end the deadly epidemic that threatens America's healthcare workers.&uot;

StatLock catheter securement devices replace tape and suture for securing IV and central venous catheters. Dr. Bierman developed the technology after he contracted Hepatitis B from an accidental needlestick.

StatLock eliminates the need to use suture needles to secure catheters, and also eliminates most unscheduled catheter restarts. These restarts can expose a nurse or doctor to the risk of contracting deadly bloodborne pathogens including HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B.

Published studies have shown that StatLock reduces unscheduled catheter restarts by more than 70 percent. StatLock reduces overall complications by up to 69 percent.

Various StatLock designs are used to secure catheters made by Becton Dickinson, CR Bard, Arrow International, Cook Inc., HDC and others. StatLock is used in hundreds of healthcare facilities, including the Cleveland Clinic, Cedar Sinai Medical Center, several VA medical centers, and the National Institutes of Health.

For more NSIP information and to schedule a free onsite orientation, call Venetec International at 800/833-3895 and ask for the national coordinator, Pat Tan, at ext. 162. For additional Venetec information, access www.StatLock.com.