Sharps injuries with Lovenox and generic enoxaparin prefilled safety syringes: A 12-year retrospective cross-sectional analytical study.

Purpose: Investigate the incidence and mechanisms of sharps injuries (SI) to staff using Lovenox and generic enoxaparin prefilled syringes.

Methods: Four national adverse event databases were examined over a 12-year period for incidence and brands involved with injury events to staff using enoxaparin prefilled syringes.

Results: The search revealed 581 adverse events (including 20 sharps injuries) associated with device malfunction in 8 of 16 brands, with one brand mentioned significantly more frequently than others.

Sharps injuries with Lovenox and generic enoxaparin prefilled safety syringes: A 12-year retrospective cross-sectional analytical study.

Purpose: Investigate the incidence and mechanisms of sharps injuries (SI) to staff using Lovenox and generic enoxaparin prefilled syringes.

Methods: Four national adverse event databases were examined over a 12-year period for incidence and brands involved with injury events to staff using enoxaparin prefilled syringes.

Results: The search revealed 581 adverse events (including 20 sharps injuries) associated with device malfunction in 8 of 16 brands, with one brand mentioned significantly more frequently than others.

Tuberculosis Screening, Testing, and Treatment of US Health Care Personnel: ACOEM and NTCA Joint Task Force on Implementation of the 2019 MMWR Recommendations.

: On May 17, 2019, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Tuberculosis Controllers Association issued new Recommendations for Tuberculosis Screening, Testing, and Treatment of Health Care Personnel, United States, 2019, updating the health care personnel-related sections of the Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Health-Care Settings, 2005. This companion document offers the collective effort and experience of occupational health, infectious disease, and public health experts from major academic and public health institutions across the United States and expands on each section of the 2019 recommendations to provide clarifications, explanations, and considerations that go beyond the 2019 recommendations to answer questions that may arise and to offer strategies for implementation.

Tuberculosis Screening, Testing, and Treatment of U.S. Health Care Personnel: Recommendations from the National Tuberculosis Controllers Association and CDC, 2019.

The 2005 CDC guidelines for preventing Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission in health care settings include recommendations for baseline tuberculosis (TB) screening of all U.S. health care personnel and annual testing for health care personnel working in medium-risk settings or settings with potential for ongoing transmission (1).

Opportunities to bridge gaps between respiratory protection guidance and practice in US health care.

Healthcare organizations are required to provide workers with respiratory protection (RP) to mitigate hazardous airborne inhalation exposures. This study sought to better identify gaps that exist between RP guidance and clinical practice to understand issues that would benefit from additional research or clarification.

Occupational health nurses’ achievement of competence and comfort in respiratory protection and preferred learning methods results of a nationwide survey.

Additional findings are presented from a 2012 nationwide survey of 2,072 occupational health nurses regarding how they achieved competence in respiratory protection, their preferred methods of learning, and how they motivated employees to use respiratory protection. On-the-job training, taking a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health spirometry course, or attending professional conferences were the primary ways occupational health nurses gained respiratory protection knowledge. Attending professional conferences was the preferred method of learning, varying by type of industry and years of occupational health nurse experience.

Respiratory protection competencies for the occupational health nurse.

Approximately 5 million workers employed at 1.3 million work settings are required to wear some form of respiratory protection as part of their jobs. Occupational health nurses can protect the respiratory health of America's workforce.

Perceived competence and comfort in respiratory protection: results of a nationwide survey of occupational health nurses.

In response to the Institute of Medicine (2011) report Occupational Health Nurses and Respiratory Protection: Improving Education and Training, a nationwide survey was conducted in May 2012 to assess occupational health nurses' educational preparation, roles, responsibilities, and training needs in respiratory protection. More than 2,000 occupational health nurses responded; 83% perceived themselves as competent, proficient, or expert in respiratory protection, reporting moderate comfort with 12 respiratory program elements. If occupational health nurses had primary responsibility for the respiratory protection program, they were more likely to perceive higher competence and more comfort in respiratory protection, after controlling for occupational health nursing experience, highest education, occupational health nursing certification, industry sector, Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare membership, taking a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health spirometry course in the prior 5 years, and perceiving a positive safety culture at work.