BD Announces U.S. Launch of BD Vacutainer® Push Button Blood Collection Set with Pre-Attached Holder

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- BD Diagnostics, a segment of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), announced today the U.S. launch of the BD Vacutainer® Push Button Blood Collection Set with Pre-Attached Holder. The ready-to-use product has been designed to help protect healthcare workers from accidental needlestick injuries (NSIs) during the blood collection process and to prevent reuse of the tube holder.  

"The pre-attached holder provides additional protection from tube holder-end needlestick injuries.  When used as intended, this product virtually eliminates a healthcare worker's exposure to a contaminated needle," said Dr. Ana Stankovic, Worldwide Vice President - Medical and Scientific Affairs and Clinical Operations, BD Diagnostics – Preanalytical Systems. "In the healthcare setting where every second is valuable, this new product also helps healthcare professionals focus more on patient care by reducing the time required to collect blood for diagnostic testing."

As with the original BD Vacutainer® Push Button Blood Collection Set (PBBCS), the new product's in-vein activation of the safety device provides split-second protection against NSIs.  After adopting the PBBCS, one hospital reported an 88 percent reduction in NSIs involving butterfly needles, with zero NSIs in the final 21 months after implementing the product.(1)

Many healthcare organizations have also recognized the risk of reusing blood collection tube holders. A study conducted by the National Phlebotomy Association reported that 99 percent of sampled reusable blood tube holders were contaminated with blood. Tube holders that are reused have not been disinfected or sterilized, posing unnecessary exposure to bloodborne pathogens including HIV, hepatitis C and hepatitis B virus.(2) Single-use holders that are pre-attached to safety-engineered blood collection needles may provide the highest level of infection prevention for the healthcare industry.(2)

The BD Vacutainer® Push Button Blood Collection Set with Pre-Attached Holder offers:

• Safety – pre-attached holder covers the holder end of the needle, reducing the risk of injury
• Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) single-use mandate that prohibits re-use of blood tube holders
• Efficiency – device pre-assembly saves time by consolidating the blood collection process.

The BD Vacutainer® Push Button Blood Collection Set with Pre-Attached Holder joins the BD Vacutainer® Eclipse™ Blood Collection Needle and the BD Vacutainer® Safety-Lok™ Blood Collection Set as a complete array of pre-attached blood collection systems.  For more information, please visit: http://www.bd.com/vacutainer/hcw_safety.

References

1. Hotaling M. A retractable safety winged steel (butterfly) needle performance improvement project. Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety 2009;35(2):100-105.
2. National Phlebotomy Association Safety Alert. Available at: www.nationalphlebotomy.org/896362.html.

About BD Vacutainer® Blood Collection Products

The widely accepted standard of blood collection (phlebotomy) for medical diagnostic analysis is performed with a phlebotomy needle and evacuated tube. The vacuum inside the tube gently draws blood from the patient's vein through the phlebotomy needle and into the evacuated tube. BD offered the first such device for sale in 1949, the Evacutainer, which was invented by Joseph Kleiner. Producing more than 4 billion units annually for use in human healthcare, veterinary care and medical research, BD remains the world's largest manufacturer of evacuated blood collection tubes.

About BD

BD is a leading global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. The Company is dedicated to improving people's health throughout the world. BD is focused on improving drug delivery, enhancing the quality and speed of diagnosing infectious diseases and cancers, and advancing research, discovery and production of new drugs and vaccines. BD's capabilities are instrumental in combating many of the world's most pressing diseases. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD employs approximately 29,000 people in more than 50 countries throughout the world. The Company serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, the pharmaceutical industry and the general public. For more information, please visit http://www.bd.com.

SOURCE BD-Becton Dickinson