Document 0677
 DOCN  M9590677
 TI    GAO faults Veterans Affairs for not promoting safer 'sharps' devices.
       General Accounting Office. Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 6003, Rockville, MD
       20849-6003. 800-458-5231 ext. 5023.
 DT    9509
 SO    AIDS Policy Law. 1995 Feb 10;10(2):7. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       AIDS/95700167
 AB    The General Accounting Office (GAO), in a Congressional study, found
       that Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals have a long way to go in preventing
       HIV infection through needlestick injuries. Although the number of
       punctures and cuts from needles, scalpels and other devices is reported
       to be declining, the GAO faults the VA for failing to promote new, safer
       devices to curb the risk of accidental infection. The study was
       requested by U.S. Republican Ron Wyden, D-Ore, who was concerned about
       the extent of injuries from sharps in health care facilities and the
       extent to which facilities were using new, safer devices to reduce the
       risk of injury.
 DE    Government  HIV Infections/*PREVENTION & CONTROL/TRANSMISSION
       Hospitals, Veterans/*STANDARDS  Human  Needles  *Needlestick Injuries
       Personnel, Hospital  Philadelphia  Safety Management/*METHODS  San
       Francisco  Surgical Instruments  United States  United States Department
       of Veterans Affairs/*STANDARDS  West Virginia  NEWSLETTER ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).