Safety scalpels were first heavily promoted in response to a US legislation change in 2000 known as the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act. As the name might suggest, safety scalpels are active safety devices that are designed to protect their users. While the idea of safety scalpels being a functional solution might all be well …
Anxiety: The Invisible Side Effect of Sharps Injuries
The anxiety that derives from sharps injuries in the medical industry often goes unmentioned. While sharps injuries can initially be painful and distressing, there is a lot more to them than what meets the eye. Thoughts about the possible outcomes and repercussions from a sharps injury can become overwhelming and affect a person in many …
Why you should be using passive safety devices
There is a lot to take into consideration when choosing tools that keep patients and staff safe. Devices that have safety features fall under one of two categories; passive safety, or active safety. Here’s a breakdown of what active and passive safety means and just how safe they are. What is active safety? An …
Sharps Injuries Statistics Around the World
It’s concerning that even with all the medical breakthroughs and advances in surgical technology, the threat of getting a sharps injury in the healthcare setting is still a major concern amongst nurses, operating room technicians, and other healthcare professionals. These injuries are not just about getting an open cut, but also worrying are the blood …
Five Reasons, For Patient And Staff Safety, Surgeons Should Avoid Safety Scalpels.
Safety scalpels have been developed in response to a call for a better management of sharps in the healthcare industry and have been increasingly adopted under the (mis)conception of being “safe”. Here are some of the top reasons why you should avoid safety scalpels. Filmsy build quality and limited range of sizes and shapes Let’s …
Staff and Patient Safety: Reflection from Being Both as a Patient and a Doctor.
The afternoon light danced across the hospital quilt warming the room and I was comfortable. My husband nodded off to sleep in the chair beside me. The last 10 days had been a whirlwind. Last Friday I was an IVF patient. On Monday I had a simple gynae procedure to reevaluate IVF strategy. On Wednesday …