TDICT

We’re the Training for Development of Innovative Control Technologies Project.
We’re working to minimize the risk of occupational exposure to needlesticks, sharps injuries, and other blood and body fluid exposures through smarter, safer medical device evaluation, design, and implementation. Needlesticks and sharps injuries are the most common form of occupational transmission of bloodborne pathogens. Today, mucocutaneous exposures, especially exposures to unprotected eyes, continue to pose an unacceptable risk to bloodborne and infectious diseases.

The prevalence of bloodborne disease is an ongoing public health threat. In fact, within the last five years, hepatitis C has killed more Baby Boomers (born 1945-1965) than 60 other infectious diseases combined. Since HIV is more of a chronic disease and people living with HIV access healthcare facilities regularly throughout their care, co-infection with HBV, HCV, and multidrug-resistant organisms, like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a growing concern.

Occupational exposures to blood and body fluids as a result of administering care to patients can result in exposure to not just one bloodborne pathogen, but multiple pathogenic organisms in a singular incident. This is why continued focus on protecting personnel working in healthcare industries is more important than ever.