Needlestick Injuries Continue to Cause Significant Concern for Healthcare Workers According to National Study

Current Safety Syringe Designs Leave Room for Improvement

ATLANTA – June 15, 2006 – Inviro Medical (www.inviromedical.com) today announced the findings of the 2006 Study of Needlestick Injuries and Safety Devices, an independent nationwide study of directors of infection control (DICs) and nurses. The findings reveal needlestick injuries (NSIs) affect the vast majority of nurses, and nearly half (47%) said they had been stuck by a contaminated needle. In addition, an overwhelming majority of DICs and nurses believe current safety syringe designs need improving.

The national study was comprised of two survey instruments. The first included responses from 147 DICs, and the second survey consisted of responses from 188 nurses. Results of the study can be downloaded at: www.inviromedical.com.

Nearly half of all nurses stuck by contaminated needle
The study showed the majority of U.S. nurses (64 percent) had been accidentally stuck by a needle while working; nearly half (47 percent) of all nurses surveyed reported being accidentally stuck by a contaminated needle.

Room for improvement in existing safety syringe design
When asked if there was room for improvement in the design of current safety syringes, an overwhelming majority of DICs and nurses said “yes” (97 percent and 96 percent respectively).

Illustrating this belief, 70 percent of DICs and 65 percent of nurses felt that safety syringes with retro-fitted designs, which today account for 95 percent of the market, were not the most effective design to protect clinicians. (Retro-fitted safety syringes refer to non-safety syringe designs that have been modified with an added shield, sheath or cap to meet industry safety regulations).

When asked how they would improve the design of safety syringes, respondents reported:

How would you improve the design of safety syringes? DICs Nurses

Hands and fingers should stay behind the needle when activating the safety mechanism 80% 71%

Permanently disabling the syringe after the safety mechanism is activated 79% 72%

Safety features that are integral to the design of the syringe 79% 64%

Using a one-handed technique 66% 63%

No add-on pieces such as sheaths, shields or caps 58% 59%

Needle should withdraw into the barrel 52% 63%

“This research underscores the problems that exist with retro-fitted safety syringes, which in the absence of an acceptable custom designed safety syringe, have dominated the market until now,” said Gareth Clarke, CEO of Inviro Medical, sponsor of the study and manufacturer of the InviroSNAP!® Safety Syringe. "Clinicians are clearly seeking an alternative safety syringe that provides better protection and is easy to use.”

Widespread concern about needlestick injuries
The study found the overwhelming majority of DICs and nurses worry about accidental NSIs. In fact, 82 percent of DICs believe NSIs remain a significant hazard, and even more nurses (88 percent) cite NSIs as a serious hazard.

When asked what could better protect healthcare workers, better products or equipment rated high among the responses of both DICs and nurses:

What could better protect healthcare workers? DICs Nurses

Better products or equipment 42% 41%

More training 40% 25%

More time for patient and procedures 40% 53%

Organizational focus and support 33% 23%

More nurses and staff 28% 47%

“The findings of this study are a ‘must read’ for those in the healthcare industry,“ said Mike Neumeier, principal of Arketi Group, the consulting firm that completed the study. “We believe this to be the first comprehensive survey of healthcare workers on this topic, since the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act became law in 2000.”

Needlestick injuries believed to be underreported
The majority of DICs and nurses believe NSIs are underreported (63% and 86% respectively). However, the two groups differ on the reasons why. Forty-five percent of DICs said the main reason is because clinicians are too busy to report them; 27 percent said the follow-up time takes too long; 11 percent believe clinicians may be afraid of workplace consequences associated with reporting NSIs. Nurses, on the other hand, are more likely than DICs to cite a concern for workplace consequences (23%) as the reason they believe NSIs are underreported.

Annual evaluations of safety devices
The majority of DICs (74 percent) and nurses (57 percent) report their facility conducts yearly evaluations of safety syringes, as required by the Needlestick Act. Ninety-three percent of DICs surveyed said they were able to influence the selection of sharp safety devices used in their facility, and 95 percent think their frontline nurses are able to influence selection. In stark contrast, only 43 percent of the nurses report they are able to influence selection in their facility.

Infection control spending set to increase
When asked about spending, nearly two out of three DICs (63 percent) said they plan to increase spending on infection control in 2006. Of those who project an increase:

25 percent plan to increase spending by 1 to 5 percent
32 percent plan to increase spending by 6 to 10 percent
25 percent plan to increase spending by 11 to 24 percent
18 percent plan to increase spending by 25 percent or more

Avian Flu, Ebola, Anthrax concern healthcare workers
Illustrating the concern over U.S. preparedness for bioterrorism and pandemic-related diseases, 83 percent of DICs said the United States is either unprepared or very unprepared for avian flu. Ebola was second with 72 percent; 61 percent felt the country is unprepared or very unprepared for the plague; 58 percent said smallpox; and 48 percent think the country is unprepared for anthrax.

However, the majority of those surveyed (52 percent) said Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) caused them the most worry.

About the Survey
Conducted in May, the 2006 U.S. Study of Needlestick Injuries and Safety Devices is based on an online, nationwide survey of U.S. directors of infection control and nurses.

Of the 147 DIC participants:

35 percent have been a director of infection control for fewer than 5 years
34 percent for 5 to 10 years
11 percent for 11 to 15 years
22 percent for more than 15 years

Of the 188 nurses surveyed:

14 percent have been a nurse for fewer than 5 years
23 percent have been nurses for 5 to 10 years
12 percent have been nurses for 11 to 15 years
51 percent have been nurses for more than 15 years

The survey’s margin of error is plus or minus five percent. The research was conducted by Atlanta-based Arketi Group.

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About Inviro Medical
Founded in 1988, Inviro Medical is a medical device company that engineers and markets safe medication delivery systems. After years of research to develop its patents and refine its product designs, the company is now poised to address the growing $1.6 billion safety syringe market and is currently introducing its breakthrough technology in North America. Headquartered in Atlanta, Inviro Medical is becoming a leading industry champion in the quest to protect healthcare workers, patients and the environment with innovative medical devices. For more information, visit www.inviromedical.com.

About Arketi Group
Based in Atlanta, Arketi Group is an integrated marketing consultancy that helps organizations accelerate growth through intelligent strategy and market research. For more information, call 404-929-0091 ext. 210 or visit www.arketi.com.

Editor’s Note
Camera-ready charts and graphs of the findings from the 2006 Study of Needlestick Injuries and Safety Devices are available by contacting Inviro Medical’s Barbara Bialek at 770-291-2165 or by email at BBialek@inviromedical.com.

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