Law protects Washington state health care workers from hazardous drugs

A new law requires the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries to adopt requirements for handling hazardous drugs (.pdf file) in the health care industry.

Senate Bill 5594, signed into law April 13 by Gov. Chris Gregoire (D), mandates that L&I develop rules consistent with recommendations from NIOSH.

Washington is the first state to require health care employers to take precautions such as proper ventilation or using protective equipment to prevent exposure. Without these measures, workers may be at risk for harmful effects such as cancer, reproductive and developmental problems, and allergic reactions, L&I said in a press release.

In related news, NIOSH, OSHA, and accreditation and certification organization The Joint Commission issued a letter on April 4 to health care employers outlining appropriate precautions to prevent exposure to hazardous drugs.

Source: National Safety Council

Study on cardiac arrest highlights benefit of public AEDs

Cardiac arrests that can be treated by an automated external defibrillator are more common in public settings than at home, according to a study released Jan. 26 from the National Institutes of Health.

Comparing data from more than 14,000 cardiac arrest patients, researchers found a higher percentage of ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation – the types of abnormal heart rhythms that can be treated through electric shock – occurred in public settings. More than one-third of people treated in public with an AED survived, which is significantly higher than the overall national average cardiac arrest survival rate of 8 percent. The at-home survival rate for cardiac arrests treated with an AED was 12 percent.

"These survival results affirm the value of putting AEDs in public locales," said Myron Weisfeldt, lead author of the study. "Even though the overall frequency of VT/VF arrests has declined over the past few decades, they are still a fairly common occurrence in public settings."

Researchers suggested the difference in cardiac arrest types in public settings versus home settings may be due to the fact that individuals who spend more time in public places may be younger and more active, making them more predisposed to VT/VF arrest. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, (Vol. 364, No. 4).

Source: National Safety Council

Association releases report on road safety by state

Only Oregon and Washington met all criteria for roadway traffic safety in a new report from the Emergency Nurses Association.

According to a Nov. 17 press release, the report ranks state roadway laws based on 14 criteria, including safety belt use, child passenger safety, Graduated Driver Licensing for teens, ignition interlock devices to prevent drunk driving, and sending or reading messages for all drivers using cell phones or other wireless communication devices. Distracted driving laws were included for the first time in the 2010 report. Findings show:

• Four states – Minnesota, Arkansas, Louisiana and Wisconsin – are leading the way in making roads safer through legislation the Des Plaines, IL-based ENA's report found.
• Tennessee met all but one criterion.
• Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota received the lowest scores, meeting fewer than half of the criteria. North Dakota's score of 4 was the lowest of any state.

From our friends at the National Safety Council

Work stress puts women at risk for heart disease: study

Women with demanding jobs but little control over their daily work have an 88 percent higher risk of heart attack than women with low job strain, indicates new research from Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Researchers analyzed job strain among 17,415 middle-aged health professionals enrolled in a long-running study of women's health. Women in stressful jobs had a 40 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, stroke, coronary artery bypass surgery and death, according to a press release from the Dallas-based American Heart Association.

In addition, fear of losing one's job was associated with increased blood pressure, cholesterol and body weight – risk factors for heart disease.

The research was presented Nov. 15 at the AHA Scientific Sessions 2010.

Courtesy of National Safety Council