The Critikon ProtectIV catheter issue

Most healthcare professionals have already read about the union grievance over the Critikon ProtectIV catheter filed at San Francisco General Hospital. The union's position was that the catheter which is designed to prevent needlesticks during insertion and removal, should be used in all applications at the hospital, rather than only in those that seemed to present greater risk of injury or infection. HHMM believes that engineering controls--specifically safety needles--should be fundamental to a good exposure control plan for bloodborne pathogens. If the primary pathway of exposure is the needlestick and the point of the control plan is to reduce needlesticks, then it is hard to refute the logic that safety devices are the best approach. The following material consists of the statement made by Dr. Peter Lurie to the grievance committee at San Francisco++ General and a letter from Dr. Janine Jagger presenting initial data on the effectiveness of the ProtectIV catheter in reducing injuries. Both are reprinted with permission. HHMM offers these documents for the information they contain, as well as for the guidance they offer in how to begin evaluating safety needle devices.