Cross-Contamination and Caregiver Safety Drive Retractable Safety Syringes Market

Sharps cross-contamination and caregiver safety concerns continue driving technology and commercial innovation in the safety syringe sector, according to a new report.

The report, published by Greystone Associates (Amherst, NH, USA), a medical and healthcare technologies consulting firm, stated that the market for safety syringes is being driven by worker safety concerns and the regulatory activity resulting from these concerns, such as the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act in the United States, a U.S. government regulation regarding syringe needle handling and disposal. This trend is occurring at a much slower rate in Europe, where the time lag of safety legislation has syringe usage still being primarily influenced for the most part by healthcare economics.

In an average hospital, workers incur approximately 30 needle stick or other sharps injuries per 100 beds per year; research shows that as many as 60% of incidents remain unreported. Laboratory and other technical support staff are also exposed to risk. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; Atlanta, GA, USA) has recommended that needles not be recapped and, if they must be recapped, that a method other than the traditional two-handed technique be used. The alternatives to recapping include the use of safety syringes or the disposal of uncapped needles into permanent sealable containers (e.g., sharps containers).

Greystone Associates estimate that the retractable safety syringes market is set to reach US$350 million over the next four years, representing an annual growth rate of 13%.


Related Links:
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Greystone Associates