Comparison of visual versus microscopic methods to detect blood splatter from an intravascular catheter with engineered sharps injury protection.

Objective: To determine whether retractable intravenous devices produced blood splatter and whether blood splatter frequency differed between visual and microscopy detection methods.

Methods: In this laboratory-based experiment, 105 venipunctures were performed in a simulated brachial vein containing mock venous blood. The retraction mechanism was activated in a testing chamber with precut fabric filters, placed at 3 different locations, to capture blood splatter.