Sharpsmart: Size and Location Impact on Sharps Injuries
Authors: Grimmond T and Naisoro W
Publication: Waste Management & Research 2012; 30: Pages 639-642
Summary:
What was the study?
The study ‘A 6-year, 3-phase study comparing use of a small patient-room sharps disposal container with a larger engineered sharps container’ examined the impact of converting from a small patient room sharps container to the Daniels Sharpsmart reusable sharps container.
What were the results?
Phase 1: (Non-Sharpsmart disposable sharps containers)
- 19.4% of SI were sharps container-related.
Phase 2: (Sharpsmart sharps containers in med-rooms)
- Sharps Container-Associated Needlestick injuries fell 94.9%
- Disposal related Needlestick injuries fell 71.1%
- Transport injuries rose
Phase 3: (Sharpsmarts sharps containers in patient rooms)
- Sharps Container-Associated Needlestick injuries were zero
- Disposal related Needlestick injuries fell 83.1%
- Recapping Needlestick injuries fell 85.1%
Compared to small portable Sharps Containers, use of the larger, safety-engineered Sharpsmart sharps container mounted on patient room walls can result in significantly fewer staff sustaining container-related needlestick injuries annually. The Sharpsmart sharps containers' volume, large aperture, passive overfill protection, one-hand deposit and close-at-hand siting are postulated as contributing t0 the reduction in disposal-related Sharps Injuries."
Authors
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