Heath Conditions

Conditions within the Healthcare Community

The epidemic of.... AIDS has led to intense concern among Healthcare workers about the risks they face in the hospital environment. Both Healthcare employers and employees possess a heightened sense of concern about and the necessity for safety.

The medical profession is moving to protect its workers from the transmission of disease while treating patients. Legal, regulatory, and economic reasons dictate that employers in the medical industry expand their efforts to protect employees against the transmission of disease.

Desert Medical, Inc. recognizes the need for and encourages the protection of Healthcare professionals. Accordingly, Desert Medical, Inc. has developed a safety device, the SHARPS BANK Waste Container, designed to minimize hazards faced by the Healthcare professional.

One of the most common and dangerous injuries sustained by Healthcare workers are accidental needle stick injures from contaminated needles. Ten percent (10%) of all hospital personnel are injured annually by needle stick injuries. Accidental needle stick injuries are second only to back injuries as the most common type of injury received by Healthcare workers. According to one study, at least 20 pathogens, including the AIDS virus and Hepatitis B virus, are transmitted by accidental needle stick injuries.

The Centers for Disease Control, Hepatitis branch, projects that between 200 and 300 Healthcare workers die each year from the direct or indirect consequences of occupationally acquired hepatitis B. Studies show that 37% of all needle stick injuries occur in an attempt to recap a contaminated needle. Another 30% of all needle stick injures occur while the Healthcare worker is transporting the used, contaminated needle disposal container to the incinerator or other facility. Housekeeping personnel also sustained 15% to 20% of all needle stick injuries from needles accidentally left in bed linens or needles which protrude from plastic sharps containers or pierce plastic bags.

Adverse consequences of accidental needle stick injuries in human terms are real and must be prevented, especially in cases leading to the transmission of fatal diseases such as AIDS.

Accidental needle stick injuries cost in other terms as well.

First, due to increased job-related hazards from diseases transmitted by needle sticks, many highly trained and valuable professionals are leaving the Healthcare professions. As a result, hospitals and other types of Healthcare facilities may soon have to face high salaries and benefits in order to attract trained personnel to fill these higher-risk jobs.

Second, it is estimated that most large hospitals average 1 to 2 reported needle stick injuries everyday. Each needle stick injury costs between $300 and $500 to treat. If infection develops, an employee missing work cost approximately $150 for each missed workday. If AIDS is contracted, the annual cost to treat the patient is approximately $129,000.

Third, the hazard of needle stick injuries increases the risk of liability action against Healthcare facilities for an unsafe work environment. As a result, insurance premiums and legal expenses for a healthcare facility are dramatically increased.

Lastly, needle stick injuries have lead to increased involvement of OSHA and other regulatory agencies in all Healthcare facilities in order to provide safer work environments for the Healthcare worker, hence the new regulations.

The SHARPS BANK Biomedical Waste Container is designed to minimize the risks and costs associated with accidental needle stick injuries. The disposal of medical waste has recently received much attention. This increased scrutiny has prompted calls for the disposal of medical waste in manners which will adequately protect the environment and human health.

State legislatures of New York, Virginia, Tennessee and Florida, dictate certain methods by which biomedical waste may be disposed. Accordingly, Healthcare facilities are to be increasingly mandated, at a minimum by public opinion if not by law, to dispose of waste in ways designed to protect human health and the environment. The SHARPS BANK Biomedical Waste Container system by Desert Medical, Inc. specifically addresses these timely environmental, health and new regulation concerns.

The cost of medical services and products have soared in recent years. As a result, providers of Healthcare services are now faced with pressures to reduce costs in order to maintain or increase profitability. These pressures to reduce cost came from numerous sources, including employers, insurance companies, patients, and new government regulations.

In this financial environment, Healthcare facilities are ill-advised to run the monetary risks and potential liabilities associated with needle stick injuries and the improper or unsafe disposal of biomedical waste.

In this regard, the SHARPS BANK that Desert Medical, Inc. offers to the Healthcare community will significantly provide the means through which to reduce exposure to increased cost and liabilities there by aiding healthcare providers to increase profitability and healthcare worker safety.

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