1. Private & Confidential Information
Justin Soltani
Product Officer, Micro-Medics
Needlestick Injuries
How to be Safe and Cost Effective

2. Private & Confidential Information
Background Information
What is a Needlestick injury?
Needlestick injuries are wounds caused by needles
that accidentally puncture the skin. Needlestick
injuries are a hazard for people who work with
hypodermic syringes and other needle equipment.
These injuries can occur at any time when people
use, disassemble, or dispose of needles. When not
disposed of properly, needles can become
concealed in linen or garbage and injure other
workers who encounter them unexpectedly.
Needlestick injuries transmit infectious diseases,
especially blood-borne viruses. In recent years,
concern about AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome), hepatitis B, and hepatitis C has
prompted research to find out why these injuries
occur and to develop measures to prevent them.
Despite published guidelines and training
programs, needlestick injuries remain an ongoing
problem.

3. Private & Confidential Information
Statistics
Did you know…….
UK: 100,000 injuries are reported each
year within the NHS.
USA: CDC estimated that more than
385,000 percutaneous injuries occur among
healthcare workers from needles and other
sharps used in the healthcare setting.
Published studies regarding needlestick
safety and prevention have noted that the
actual number could be as much as 70
percent higher.

4. Private & Confidential Information
All workers in the health care system are at risk.
• Nurses
• Doctors
• Midwives
• Phlebotomists
• Cleaning Staff
• Portering Staff
• Domestic Staff
• Ambulance Staff
• Community Nurses and Therapists

5. Private & Confidential Information
The Dangers of Needlestick Injuries
The real danger is the infections
that may be transmitted, including
blood-borne viruses such as:
 HIV
 hepatitis C
 hepatitis B
 Tuberculosis
 20 other serious blood-borne viruses
Prospective data collection on all incidents reported in a nine-month period during 1992/3 to
15 occupational health departments in the Wessex and Oxford regions of the NHS.
There were 1,102 incidents, 115 in doctors, 697 in nurses and 106 in ancillary workers. Rates
per 1,000 members of staff per year ranged from 9 to 44 incidents

6. Private & Confidential Information
2001 Study by the Department of Health
Found the risk of transmission following a
needle stick injury to be:
• One in Three for Hepatitis B
• One in 30 for Hepatitis C
• One in 300 for HIV
Astonishing to learn that needle stick injury
is second only to violence and aggression
as a cause of occupational injury in the
NHS, but it is not only NHS staff who are
affected.

7. Private & Confidential Information
Facts
Between July 1997 and June 2002, the Public Health Laboratory Service
received reportsof more than 1,500 exposures to blood-borne viruses, of which
734 cases—140 a year—were caused by hollow bore needles, which are the
riskiest. Nurses and doctors account for an astonishing 77 per cent. of those
reports.

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Facts
•Needle stick injuries will occur each year
•UNREPORTED INCIDENCE ESTIMATED AT 60-80%

9. Private & Confidential Information
Implications when such an injury occurs
• Time Off Work
• Blood Tests
• Occupational Health Time
• Vaccination
• Treatment
• Counseling
• Administration time on the part of Managerial Staff
• Injury Compensation

10. Private & Confidential Information
What does it COST?
•Cost to the NHS of a low-risk accident is £310
•Cost of a high-risk accident could be as high as £35,000
•Taken as a whole throughout the NHS, the cost of needle
stick injuries is £300 million
£???

11. Private & Confidential Information
Cost to Introduce Safer Needles into the NHS
£49 million

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Our Vision
To introduce a new product into the market
place that reduces one of the most concerning
issues at hand in the health care system
TODAY.
 Decrease the incidence of Needle Stick injuries
 Decrease the rate of spread of infection as a result of these type
of injuries
 Decrease the cost for necessary screening and treatment
 Decrease overall expenditure
 Increase workplace safety and productivity
 Increase staff confidence

13. Private & Confidential Information
Our Solution

14. Private & Confidential Information
A Revolutionary Approach
•SNAP - a “better mousetrap”
•Engineered safety syringe
•Excellent patent protection
•Demonstrable superiority
•Improved environmental impact
•Standardization opportunity
•InviroSTRIPE – write-on stripe
•Disruptive technology
•Potential to revolutionize category
•Addresses JCAHO recommendations
•Improves safety and productivity
•InviroLINK Plastic cannula
•Safer alternative
•Excellent pipeline
•InviroTIP
•Blood Draw

15. Private & Confidential Information
Competition/Segmentation
 Retro-fitted devices: All competing with “me-to” technology, i.e. add on
pieces to standard syringes
 Major players are BD, Tyco, Smiths Medical
 Automatics: Expensive, lack versatility, circa 5% share
 Manually Retractable – PPS technology; a new alternative

16. Private & Confidential Information
Questions