[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 28, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 FRONT-LINE HEALTH CARE WORKERS SHOULDN'T HAVE TO RISK THEIR LIVES TO 
                               SAVE LIVES

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 28, 1997

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, along with over 20 original cosponsors, I am 
introducing the Health Care Worker Protection Act of 1997. This bill is 
designed to reduce the risk of health care workers from accidental 
needlesticks. The legislation would ensure that the necessary tools--
better information and better medical devices--are made available to 
our frontline health care workers in order to reduce the injury and 
death which may result from accidental needlesticks each year.
  Although needlestick injuries are considered to be widely under 
reported, health care workers report more than 800,000 needlesticks and 
injuries from sharp products each year. According to the Center for 
Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] there have been at least 52 actual 
and 111 possible documented cases of HIV seroconversions among U.S. 
health care workers resulting from occupational exposures since 1994. 
Needlestick injuries caused by hollow-bore needles accounted for 86 
percent of all reported occupational HIV exposures. Of the needles 
involved in the reported injuries, 2 percent or roughly 16,000 are 
likely to be contaminated by the HIV virus.
  Imagine what someone must go through when accidentally pricked with a 
used needle device. Tests must be conducted to determined if the blood 
on the device contained an infectious agent. If so, the health care 
worker must undergo tests to see if they have been infected. If the 
blood contained the HIV virus, one could not be sure for up to 1 year 
whether an infection occurred.
  While you can't put a dollar figure on the psychological toll of a 
needlestick, if only one employee becomes HIV positive, the direct cost 
to treat a needlestick injury can average $2,809 even if there is no 
infection. If an infection occurs, direct and indirect costs can total 
more than $500,000.
  The Health Care Worker Protection Act of 1997 requires hospitals and 
hospital-owned facilities to use safe and approved hollow-bore needle 
devices as a condition of participation in the Medicare Program. 
Hospitals would be required to use safe needle devices as approved by 
the FDA in consultation with an advisory committee comprised of 
representatives from consumer groups, frontline health care workers, 
industry representatives, and technical experts. To enhance compliance, 
$5,000,000 would be provided for education and training in the use of 
safety devices.
  Support for this bill has come from all quarters: the American Nurses 
Association, the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, 
the Service Employee International Union, American Federation of 
Teachers, Lynda Arnold's National Campaign for Healthcare Worker 
Safety, Association of Operating Room Nurses, American Association of 
Critical-Care Nurses, many product researchers and manufacturers, and 
most importantly, health care workers. Supporters of the bill share the 
opinion that this legislation will provide important protections for 
health care workers in the workplace.
  Better information and better devices are the key to reducing 
injuries from needlesticks. Hospitals must be encouraged to substitute 
existing needlestick products with products proven to be safe. Nurses, 
doctors, and other frontline health workers care each day for those 
individuals we love. They shouldn't have to risk their lives to save 
lives. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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