OR Sharps safest practice

[NurseNicky]

Hello All,

Please advise on what is considered the best/safest practice for needle holders in the OR. Is it better to use Magnetic or Foam Needle Holders? If so, also, which brand is recommended?

I work in an OR that uses the red needle books with a magnetic section for blades, but now they've brought in the red needle books with foam to poke the needles through and my boss wanted me to research this issue.

Any input is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

NMB

[tachy]

Our red boxes have the best of both worlds - once side is the foam for suture and the other is magnetic for blades. I would think it best to have both :)

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Our red boxes have the best of both worlds - once side is the foam for suture and the other is magnetic for blades. I would think it best to have both :)

Same here. Foam for counted atraumatic needles, magnet side for blades, free needles, hypos, and bovie tips. Not all really need the magnet, but it keeps them in one place where they can't roll around.

[springchick1, ADN, RN]

As a scrub tech, I like the foam ones better! The ones we use are magnetic on one side and foam on the other. The foam side is numbered which I like because it helps keep them more organized which makes counting so much easier!

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

We have the foam, numbered ones. No magnet on the other side though.

[krwrnbsn]

We have the foam (which is numbered) on one side and magnet on the other side of needle box.

[blueberry POP tart:)]

We have the handy little red box too! Numbered foam on one side, magnet on the other.

[NurseNicky]

Thanks for all of the posts, everyone. I like the foam ones myself, but a lot of the scrub techs at work prefer the magnetic side, so I think that having one foam side and a magnetic side really does give the best of both worlds. ~Nicky~