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Sharps Safety Products For Medical Professionals
Qlicksmart is an Australian company based in Brisbane, Queensland. The company was founded by the emergency room physicians for the sole purpose of providing devices that improve patient and staff safety. To this end, Qlicksmart sponsors CE’s or OR nurses and surgical techs in the sharps injury arena. The flyer below covers the scope of the one-hour contact course offered by Qlicksmart for the purpose of bolstering awareness of sharps injuries, their devastating effects on staff, and of course, to influence future behavioral changes that improve the safety of the operating environment.
For the Qlicksmart courses, the speakers come to your facility to conduct the one-hour contact course at no charge. These courses have been presented at hospitals, surgical centers, and ancillary facilities that regularly deal with needles, scalpel blades, sutures, etc. If your institution is interested in the talks, either as an AORN Chapter or an individual hospital, please contact the speaker directly.
Anxiety Case Study: The Invisible Side Effect of Sharps Injuries
The anxiety that derivesfrom sharps injuries in the medical industry often goes unmentioned. Whilesharps injuries can initially be painful and distressing, there is a lot moreto them than what meets the eye. Thoughts about the possible outcomes andrepercussions from a sharps injury can become overwhelming and affect a personin many different ways both mentally and physically.
Case Study - Naomi the Nurse
Naomi’spatient had an unexpected seizure while she was working with him. The patientgrabbed her by the arm, causing her to stick herself with the syringe in herhand. Naomi experienced onset of anxiety as she considered the possibilities ofher injury and the repercussions it could have.
Withher five years of experience, Naomi knew exactly what procedures to follow. Shenotified her superiors, took her prescribed emergency medication and informedher professional organisation about the accident. But nothing seemed to waiverthe anxiety.
Naomi waited threemonths for the first set of results for her injury. During this time, heranxiety manifested. Thoughts of all the different possible outcomes filled herhead for the three months. Illness, damaged reputation and even death wereamong these thoughts.
Common Blood-Borne Pathogens
The most common blood-borne pathogens that can be contracted from a sharps injury are HepatitisB, Hepatitis C and HIV. Sharps injuries can also have indirect consequences such as reduced quality of life, reduced capacity to work and even affect loved ones at home. This anxiety is more than justified, and it should be recognized and addressed.
BladeFlask EVO Scalpel Blade Remover is now FDA 510(K)premarket approved.
Qlicksmart,an Australian safety medical devices manufacturer, has received clearance fromthe United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for their BladeFlaskEVO Scalpel Blade Remover.
The BladeFlask EVO isable to accommodate multiple types of BP scalpel handles and blades includinglarge autopsy scalpels, Barron, bulbous, thick and round handles, hexagonalshaped versions, and the new Ergonomic handles – giving the user greaterfreedom in using any scalpel required. It is considered the new standard inscalpel blade removals.
The FDA 510(K) clearancefollows the BladeFlask EVO's extensive list of compliance certifications:
The FDA510(K) clearance is a further step in the regulatory process that allows the Brisbane-based firm to “demonstrate that the device to be marketed is as safe and effective, that is, substantially equivalent, to a legally marketed device.”
The original BladeFLASK Scalpel Blade remover, from which the new BladeFlaskEVO is adapted from, has received the FDA 510(K) approval in 1998.
Sharps Injury Risks and Prevention Strategies
Sharps cuts and injuries from scalpels, suture needles, and other sharps are a significant occupational hazard for nurses and other healthcare professionals. These cuts and injuries can have long-term impacts on the physical and psychological health of nurses, and can be costly for the healthcare facility.
Sharps injuries can be avoided when individuals and facilities rethink their perceptions around staff safety and patient safety, and by implementing an effective sharps safety program.
Remove and contain scalpel blades in the Operating Room with theBladeCASSETTE. Engineered by healthcare professionals, this safety device helpsyou maintain optimum sharps safety practices.
The BladeCASSETTE is a safety-engineered devicewhich is easy to use, and allows surgeons to maintain their preference forstandard surgical scalpel handles for procedures.
Qlicksmart Pty Ltd., manufacturer of scalpel blade removal systems released this Press Notice on July 3rd. The offering of the Digital Platform is a free piece of software to analyze cost savings in the Operating Room. Keeping safe remains a the primary focus.
This is an excellent resource for establishing a Sharps Safety Culture that can be followed by all in the O.R..
1. Support Awareness
2. Enforce Regulations
3. Safety Equipment
blade remover
4. Administrative Actions
5. Management Support
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Minister Andrews joins Australian medical device manufacturer to launch Digital Platform for frontline healthcare worker safety
3 July 2020, Australia – Qlicksmart Pty Ltd officially launched their new Digital Platform today, which empowers healthcare facilities to reduce sharps injuries occurring to frontline staff.
The Qlicksmart Digital Platform is free to healthcare facilities, providing tools which cover evaluating sharps safety devices, an Interactive Training App for virtual product training, and how to effectively implement sharps safety policies into practice.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews spoke at the launch event, which was held at the Cohort Innovation Space in the Gold Coast.
“We do know, particularly coming through COVID, that training has been quite limited. It’s almost every day that I have people say to me that they were unable to complete their training because they couldn’t get the people in the room to deliver the training. So the opportunity to digitally provide the training to people, quite frankly, is the way of the future.”
“I’m very proud of the work that you [Qlicksmart] have done dealing with sharps injuries in the workplace, keeping our healthcare workers safe, but also doing very leading-edge work in how you’re going to train – particularly in areas where people have said that you can’t do that digitally. You’ve proven that that’s wrong.”
Dr Michael Sinnott, co-founder of Qlicksmart and an emergency physician, shared the potential impact the Qlicksmart Digital Platform will have on Australian Medtech innovation.
“I believe the Qlicksmart Digital Platform will revolutionize the current route to international markets by making the current global playing field a bit more even. This will mean that small Australian innovators and medical device companies will achieve greater success on the world stage.”
The Qlicksmart Digital Platform was developed in-house with support from the Innovations Connections Grant facilitated by the Ministry for Industry, Science and Technology and Monash University’s Design Health Collab.
Healthcare facilities can download the Interactive Training App from Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store. The Qlicksmart Digital Platform is accessible online at https://www.qlicksmart.com/digital-platform/
About Qlicksmart:
Qlicksmart Pty Ltd is an ISO 13485:2016-accredited R&D and manufacturing company committed to making healthcare professional’s lives easier and safer, so that they can focus on patient care. Established in 1999 by Australian medical doctors, our award-winning safety devices are used in over 50 countries worldwide. Qlicksmart works with innovators from the healthcare sector to deliver solutions which target the overlooked concerns of nurses, surgeons, and healthcare facilities. To learn more about Qlicksmart, visit www.qlicksmart.com
Continuing Education Credits Sponsored by
The risks associated with sharps injuries can be significant and life threatening. The old concept that patient safety and staff safety are exclusive of each other no longer prevails. Given the severe threats from scalpel injuries, regulatory recommendations and guidelines have progressively improved. OSHA published “Using fingers to remove a used scalpel blade does not meet requirements”. The standard of practice is: no fingers or forceps for scalpel removal and no re-sheathing of scalpel blades.
Of great importance to nurses and surgical technologists are the safety methods that should be incorporated into their work environment. One of the most significant methods is to employ a single-handed scalpel blade remover in combination with a hands free passing technique. You need to work in a safe environment to ensure you are able to deliver the best safety for your patients.
After completing this continuing education activity, the participant should be able to:
This continuing education activity has been designed for perioperative nurses and other perioperative healthcare professionals who are involved in the use of sharps and exposed to sharp injuries. CEU = 1 Contact Hour of continuing education.
This continuing education activity is governed by principles of adult learning. PowerPoint images will be used to augment the speaker’s presentations and a supportive study guide with content and references is provided to each participant. Attendees will have an active role in discussion as well as opportunities to ask questions and share experiences.
Consultant to Qlicksmart – Australia,
Pharmalink Regulatory Affairs Consultant, Vicro LLC Regulatory Affairs Consultant
Member of I.O.D., London England,
Invited Lecturer : FIME, Miami, Fl.; RSNA, Chicago Ill.; Medica, Duesseldorf, Germany
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