I.V. Catheter Engages Needletip Shield

As legislation to protect healthcare workers from needlesticks continues to move forward, manufacturers area also making efforts to fill the need for safer devices.

Recently, B. Braun Medical (Bethlehem, PA) introduced an I.V. catheter that the firm calls the first "passive" (automatic) device of its kind. The Introcan Safety I.V. catheter automatically engages a safety clip that shields the needletip when the needle bevel exits the catheter hub.

This represents the first time where such a device with a passive feature that can't be defeated has been marketed, according to Bacem Georges, marketing manager in vascular access for B. Braun. Once the device is activated, you can't replace the needle and reuse the catheter, he indicated in an interview.

Another advantage is that the device doesn't require a change in technique, so that "the learning curve and in-service requirements are very minimal," Georges said. The catheter also allows for attachment of a syringe to the I.V. catheter. The cost of the device is comparable to other safety devices on the market, according to Georges.

"Every new safety device that comes on the market is an important one," said Janine Jagger, MPH, PhD, director of the International Health Care Worker Safety Center, Charlottesville, VA. "This demonstrates the demand that has been created in the marketplace by new legislation.

"The more safety devices we can get in each category, the more applications will be able to use safety devices. It's important to have variety in the marketplace so that we can get very broad safety coverage for all applications. This is a step forward," she said.