BD launches new Safety Blood Collection Needle in Europe

31 October 2012

The new BD Vacutainer Eclipse Signal Blood Collection Needle has single-handed activation, integrated holder and a new flashback chamber, giving healthcare workers immediate confirmation of venous access, whilst also reducing the potential for sharps injuries.

The needle allows immediate confirmation of venous access, which is indicated by the presence of blood in the flashback chamber, providing confidence during venepuncture. Other key ergonomic features which make venous blood collection simple and more comfortable, are the new anti-slip ridges and thumb pad for easy, single-handed activation of the safety shield.

The blood droplet reduction system is designed to reduce blood droplet formation when the needle is removed from the vein, and the needle bevel and safety shield are aligned for easy identification of the needle position for blood collection. Full integration of the holder and needle reduces the risk of user-end sharps injuries and improves efficiency by reducing the number of steps in the blood collection process, with no compromise to patient care.

Luis Fernandez-Inglesias, Vice President, BD Diagnostics, Preanalytical Systems Europe, says: “BD is committed to raising awareness of the risks faced by healthcare workers and educating and informing healthcare facilities on the precautions they can adopt, as well as developing safety-engineered devices for improving healthcare worker safety. The new BD Vacutainer Eclipse Signal Blood Collection Needle represents a new level of confidence in safety-engineered devices for venous blood collection, designed specifically with healthcare workers’ safety in mind and ease of use.”

Mr Kor Kooi, PreAnalytical Manager at UMCG Hospital Groningen, one of the biggest University Hospitals in the Netherlands and the first site in Europe to order the BD Vacutainer Eclipse Signal, explains: "At Groningen, this new blood collection needle will provide an extra tool to use when carrying out these very important procedures. The flashback chamber makes it much easier to determine if blood collection has been successful, and this invaluable feature also reduces the potential for patient discomfort."

Hazards of blood collection

Blood collection is one of the most hazardous tasks healthcare workers perform. A European study has revealed that it is the procedure with the highest risk of needlestick injury compared to other clinical procedures. A single needlestick injury can expose a healthcare worker to one or more of 30 potentially dangerous blood-borne pathogens, including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV.

It is estimated that one million sharps injuries occur in the European Union each year, with more than 100,000 each year in the UK alone. The EU Directive on the prevention of sharps injuries in the hospital and healthcare sector must be transposed into national law of all EU member states by 11 May 2013, placing an obligation on healthcare organisations “to achieve the safest possible working environment by preventing injuries to workers caused by all medical sharps”.