Hindustan Syringes and Medical Devices Limited (HMD), country's leading manufacturer of auto disabling and single use syringes introduced its cathy+safety IV Cannula with SIP CLIP during the Arab Health held in Dubai recently.

The innovative cathy+safety IV cannula with SIP CLIP is designed to minimise risks associated with needle stick injuries common among healthcare staff and workers, which have been a major cause of transmission of blood borne viruses such as HBV, HCV and HIV among other health risks.

“Our next generation cannula offering cathy+safety IV cannula with SIP CLIP is designed not only to minimise health risks associated with accidental needle injuries but will also help bring down substantially the overall cost resulting from treatment of diseases due to needle injuries and resultant nosocomial infections, " informed Rajiv Nath, joint managing director of HMD.

Cathy+ safety IV cannula with SIP CLIP is a pure polymer with a catheter that is proprietary polyurethane (volex). It is loaded with innovative safety features such as auto protection safety mechanism, so no activating or secondary action is required by user. It is understood that the safety clip fits accurately in huer chamber and product feels and functions like a standard IV catheter with no need for training for deploying this.

This product has precisely designed bump on needle and its safety mechanism is activated automatically on withdrawal of needle post cannulation. Some key innovative features of cathy+safety IV cannula with SIP CLIP include automatic passive safety; sharps injury prevention (SIP); injection molded in one piece, which is cost advantage.

It also has the first needle protection device in a pure polymer, which is integrated inside the catheter adapter and is safe, simple and customer–friendly that allows ease of insertion without peel back with only minimal trauma. Nath further informed that needle-stick injuries are common among healthcare staff and workers, especially nurses who are the largest single group having high rates of injury.

According to WHO, 80 per cent of all hospital staff have personally experienced needle stick injuries, There are 2 million reported needle stick injuries per EU and US, plus more than 1 million unreported injuries. Out of 35 million heathcare workers nearly 10 per cent receive percutaneous exposure to blood borne pathogens like hepatitis and HIV annually and 90 per cent of these accidents occur in developing countries.  
Nath pointed out that the risk of becoming infected by a needle that has been in contact with a HIV positive patient is 0.5 per cent, for hepatitis B it is 20 per cent and for hepatitis C it is 5 per cent. Needle stick injuries also result in high financial and human costs and cause considerable distress to nurses and doctors, informed Nath who is also the forum coordinator of the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AIMED).

Interestingly it is understood that to mitigate the risks, within EU, safety devices are mandatory as of May 11, Directive 2010/32 of May 10, 2010) and USA passed the needle stick safety and prevention Act (NSPA) in 2000.