History

The idea for NAPPSI first occurred in 1999, when Dr. Steve Bierman presented the idea of primary prevention of accidental needlesticks to a California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) public conference. The conference had been called in advance of passage of the nation’s first needlestick safety law. Cal-OSHA was listening to speakers from clinical practice and product manufacturing to be certain issues surrounding needlestick safety had been given a fair hearing. Although there was a great deal of discussion about secondary prevention—i.e., shielded or retractable needles, proper disposal, proper work practices around needles and other sharps—Dr. Bierman was struck by the fact that there was absolutely no discussion about avoiding the introduction of unnecessary needles into the workplace.  Yet, as all clinicians know, vaccination (i.e., prevention) is always better than treatment, because there is never a perfect treatment.  By analogy, preventing the use of a needle is always preferable to using a safety needle, because products with needle safety are not perfect either.

At the time, Dr. Bierman’s work with catheter stabilization was revealing through clinical trials that 71% of peripheral intravenous catheters required restarting prior to 72 hours due to such complications as infiltration, phlebitis, and dislodgement. This meant an additional 71 hollow-bore, blood-filled IV stylets for every 100 initial IV catheter insertions. Manufactured catheter stabilizations devices were reducing unscheduled IV restarts to 16%--meaning that for every 100 original IV catheter insertions, only 16 now required restarting, thus eliminating 55 IV stylets per 100 initial catheter insertions. Combined with the benefits of needleless injection devices, suture-free closure devices, bloodless diagnostics, noninvasive monitoring, and chlorhexidine for skin antisepsis, it was obvious that thousands of needles simply did not need to be used. 

In 2000, ten corporations became charter members of NAPPSI including:

Cell Robotics

Bioject Medical

ICU Medical

Alaris Medical

Equidine Systems

Porex Medical

Arrow International

B Braun

PHT

Venetec International

Today, techniques and technology combine to protect healthcare workers and we welcome all healthcare professionals, professional organizations, and manufacturers of both primary and secondary prevention technologies.