Injection Technologies
With more than sixteen billion injections administered annually worldwide, they are the largest contributor to sharps waste. For this reason many new technologies surrounding injections have recently been developed. Most of these are related to safety mechanisms on the actual injection device. As these technologies have been developed governments have attempted to make them commonplace to ensure sharps waste safety. In 2000, the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act was passed, along with the 2001 Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. Both of these legislative actions make increase safety technology requirements.
Medical injections result in contaminated sharps waste consisting of a syringe/needle complex. The main concern in the handling of this form of waste is the risk of needlestick injuries. The World Health Organization estimates that annually over two million such injuries occur worldwide. These injuries puncture the skin and have a high probability for the transmission of bloodborne pathogens. Safety features that have been incorporated into new injection technologies focus on the prevention of accidental needlesticks. Safety syringes help reduce occurrences of accidental needlesticks. One of the most recent developments has been the auto-disable injection device, or AD syringe. These injection devices automatically disable after removal from the patient. This can be done by retracting the needle back into the syringe or rendering the syringe plunger inoperable. With the injection device now inoperable, it cannot be reused.
The most effective AD syringes for sharps waste management retract the needle into the syringe after one use. With the needle no longer exposed after injection, it is much safer to handle and dispose.
Covering the needle right after the injection is another approach taken for safe management of sharps. Injection devices are sold which can be recapped in very simple fashions. These are hands free methods usually involving a hinging cap that can be pressed on a table to seal the needle. Being able to cap the needle in this hands free way decreases needle sticks. However, the added action of capping the needle increases the time before it is placed in disposal containers.
Another technology in sharps waste management relating to injections is the needle remover. Varying approaches can be taken with the main goal to separate the needle from the syringe. This allows the sharp needle to be quarantined and disposed of separate from the syringe. There is debate around the use of these devices as they involved in additional step in the handling of sharps waste. Current legislation encourages the disposal of the whole injection device without this added step. The legislation requires the use of safety features such as hinged caps or preferably AD syringes.
Read more about this topic: Sharps Waste