Impact of a shielded safety syringe on needlestick injuries among healthcare workers.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the impact of a shielded 3 cc safety syringe on needlestick injuries among healthcare workers. DESIGN: Surveillance study. SETTING: Three medical centers. RESULTS: The total number of needlesticks from all sources rose from 134 during the baseline period to 140 during the study phase. However, the overall rate of needlesticks involving 3 cc syringes decreased from 14/100,000 inventory units to 2/100,000, and the frequency declined substantially at each of the participating medical centers. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that shielded syringes and related technology may offer potential for reducing the risk of needlestick injuries among hospital and other healthcare employees. This study should be viewed as a preliminary effort to assess the potential of shielded-syringe technology for reducing the risk of needlestick injuries among healthcare workers. The results are encouraging, but more clinical experience with this new device and longer follow up are essential to provide the data necessary for a definitive assessment of efficacy.