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What is Guard Aid™?
Guard Aid™ is a needle sheath guard device that was created to provide some measure of protection from accidental needle sticks to dentists in their dental practice.
Guard Aid™ was invented in the mid-1980s by Carmel, California dentist, Robert Slaughter, DDS, who was searching for a way to reduce the risk of disease transmission for himself and his staff from accidental needle sticks.
Guard Aid™ Is an Easy Fitting, Re-Usable, Needle Sheath Guard Device
Guard Aid™ was designed to fit easily around the cap or sheath of the needle, providing a barrier with a wider diameter than the opening of the needle sheath. This wider barrier around the needle cap provides an extra measure of protection during the process of uncapping and recapping the needle within the sheath, a common practice among many dentists and oral surgeons.
Guard Aid™ was also designed to be a re-usable product. Guard Aid™ is made in the USA from durable material that can be put into steam autoclaves and/or chemoclaves.
Who Uses Guard Aid™?
Since 1985, Guard Aid™ customers have included hundreds of dentists, oral surgeons, hospitals, dental schools, and other medical practitioners throughout the United States.
Dangers to Health Care Workers
The danger to healthcare workers from conventional needles and sharps is well documented. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are approximately 385,000 needlesticks and other sharps related injuries to healthcare personnel each year. The CDC states that “sharps injuries are primarily associated with occupational transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HBC), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but they have been implicated in the transmission of more than 20 other pathogens.”
OSHA Regulations
OSHA regulations require dentists to inform their employees of the disease transmission hazards associated with the practice of dentistry and to provide education on ways to prevent disease transmission within the dental environment. Guard Aid™ can be an effective part of a disease transmission risk reduction program.
Needle stick injuries are preventable. Most needle stick injuries could be prevented with the use of safer needle devices and safer needle handling practices.
Benefits of Guard Aid™
- Easy to engage and remove Guard Aid™ from the needle sheath
- Re-usable – can be autoclaved and or chemoclaved
- Usable on a wide variety of different manufacturers needles
- Cost effective