Sharps safety devices.

Injuries from needles or other sharps are a danger to patients and clinicians alike, particularly due to the risk of bloodborne pathogen transmission. One way to reduce the likelihood of such injuries is to implement protective devices as substitutes for more dangerous conventional products. Over the years, Health Devices has evaluated several sharps safety devices. In this issue, we evaluate four new types of protective alternatives: disposable prep razors, epidural needles, ophthalmic knives, and stitch cutters. Our Evaluation discusses whether these sharps safety devices deliver the added safety that they are designed to provide and whether they are effective at performing their intended clinical purposes.