Application of CQI tools to the reduction in risk of needlestick injury.

OBJECTIVE

To reduce the risk of needlestick injuries to laboratory workers.

DESIGN

Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) tools were applied to data collected on the number of blood gas syringes that arrived in the laboratory with needles still attached and to the reasons for these occurrences.

SETTING

A clinical chemistry department within a 900-bed tertiary referral university teaching hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

Clinical chemistry laboratory staff and medical staff responsible for sending syringes with needles still attached.

INTERVENTIONS

Changing to a preheparinized blood gas syringe that included a syringe cap within the packaging.

RESULTS

Fivefold reduction in the number of syringes arriving in the laboratory with needles still attached.

CONCLUSION

The risk of needlestick injury to laboratory workers can be reduced by provision to clinical staff of preheparinized blood gas syringes that include a syringe cap within the packaging. The techniques to CQI provide powerful tools for the identification, solving, and monitoring of safety-related issues within the healthcare environment.