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Safety Product Category

Blunt Suture Needles

Blunted suture needles are sharp enough to penetrate muscle or other tissue but less likely to penetrate gloved hands. “There is compelling published evidence to support routine use of blunt suture needles to minimize sharps injuries during closure of fascia and muscle.” American College of Surgeons (2007 meeting statement)

Protect yourself and your patients—without compromising performance

Better protection from needlestick injuries
ETHIGUARD Blunt Point Needle is an innovative solution that helps protect you and your patients from needlestick injuries, providing you with a better needle option.

A solution to a costly problem

  • Over 384,000 healthcare workers in the US suffer needlestick injuries each year, putting them at risk for hepatitis, HIV, and other serious diseases2
  • The annual cost of needlestick injuries to hospitals is approximately$258 million
    — The follow-up costs for high-risk exposure needlestick injury is almost $3,000 even if no infection occurs
  • A 2007 New England Journal of Medicine study report found that99% of surgical residents had at least one needlestick injury by their final year of training—53% involving high-risk patients
  • Four prospective randomized trials have demonstrated notable benefits from use of blunt suture needles
  • ETHIGUARD Blunt Point Needles and conventional taper point needles both have a 12:1 taper ratio

Choose protection without compromising performance
Decrease the incidence of injury

  • Blunt-point geometry allows for easy soft-tissue penetration

Minimize bleeding and tissue trauma

  • ETHIGUARD Blunt Point Needle does not cause any more additional bleeding or patient trauma than a conventional taper needle7
  • Its heat-treated, stainless steel alloy delivers optimal strength and ductility to resist bending and breaking

Use with ease

  • ETHIGUARD Blunt Point Needle is proven to be effective and user-friendly

Increase precision

  • A ribbed and flattened body affords stability in the needle holder, for improved protection against slipping

“Though cost is often cited as a factor for not using safer devices, it is actually a savings when you consider the cost of treating the individual once a [needlestick] injury occurs.”

ETHIGUARD Blunt Point Needle meets the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act standards

  • A 2007 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) bulletin states that8:
    — OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health strongly recommend the use of blunt-tip suture needles in surgical procedures to reduce the risk of percutaneous injuries to surgical personnel
    — Employers in workplaces that use suture needles must evaluate their use according to the Bloodborne Pathogens standard of blunt-tip suture needles
  • The American College of Surgeons declared in 2005 that8:
    — “All published studies to date have demonstrated that the use of blunt suture needles can substantially reduce or eliminate needle-stick injuries from surgical needles.”