Needlestick first response kit and method of using same

A kit of parts for providing first aid to needle stick injury, the kit of parts comprising a container housing the following first aid components:

• a tourniquet comprising an elongate member having a first end and a second end, the first end of the tourniquet having a central aperture with the second end of the tourniquet extending through the central aperture, and the second end of the tourniquet having a mechanism for releasably fastening the second end of the tourniquet to the elongate member to secure the tourniquet in a tightened position;
• and
• a negative pressure apparatus having a tip for encasing the site of the sharp's injury and generating negative pressure in the tip to facilitate expressing bodily fluid from a site of a sharp's injury;
• the negative pressure apparatus comprising:
• a substantially hollow body which being closed at one end except for actuating rod aperture, and being open at the opposite end thereof, the open opposite end communicating with an orifice;
• a piston housed within the body, the piston being actuated by a knob located outside of the body, the knob being coupled to the piston via an actuating rod extending through the actuating rod aperture, the actuator rod having a passageway extending axially therealong, and one end of the passageway communicates with an end face of the piston facing the open end and an opposite end of the passageway communicates with an vent located adjacent the knob;
• the tip defining an intermediate chamber therein, the tip has one end coupled to the orifice, and the opposite end of the tip defining an inlet which is sufficiently large to encompass the site of the sharp's injury;
• and
• a perimeter portion of the inlet of the tip is provided with a flexible annular sealing member to facilitate sealing against skin adjacent the site of the sharp's injury for facilitating expressing bodily fluid from the site of the sharp's injury in and through the intermediate reservoir during operation of the apparatus the inlet of the tip being sufficiently large to at least partially receive an end portion of a digit of an individual, and the flexible sealing member extends radially inwardly from a perimeter of the inlet to seal against a circumference of the end portion of the received digit.

A method of providing first aid to a site of a sharp's injury on a digit of an individual, the method comprising of steps:

• placing a tourniquet about a limb of an individual having a needle stick and tightening the tourniquet to minimize the flow of blood in the limb of the individual with the needle stick;
• encompassing a site of a sharp's injury with a negative pressure apparatus for generating negative pressure by passing the digit with the sharp's injury into an inlet of a tip of the negative pressure device and sealing a perimeter of the digit, with the sharp's injury, with a flexible perimeter sealing member of the tip, and the flexible perimeter sealing member having a passage with an inner circumference having a diameter small than a diameter of the inlet to achieve a fluid tight seal therebetween;
• expressing bodily fluid from the site of the sharp's injury with the negative pressure apparatus until sufficient amount of bodily fluid is expressed;
• removing the negative pressure apparatus from the site of the sharp's injury;
• cleaning the site of the sharp's injury with a cleansing agent;
• and
• covering the site of the sharp's injury with a bandage.

An apparatus for generating a negative pressure for expressing bodily fluid from a site of a sharp's injury, the apparatus comprising:

• a substantially hollow body being closed at one end except for actuating rod aperture, and being open at the opposite end thereof, the open opposite end communicating with an orifice;
• a piston being housed within the body, the piston being actuated by a knob located outside of the body, the knob being coupled to the piston via an actuating rod extending through the actuating rod aperture, the actuator rod having a passageway extending axially therealong, and one end of the passageway communicating with an end face of the piston facing the open end and an opposite end of the passageway communicating with an vent located adjacent the knob;
• a hollow tip defining an intermediate chamber therein, the tip having an absorbent material therein to facilitate absorbing and retaining of expressed bodily fluid during use of the apparatus, the hollow tip having one end being coupled to the orifice, and the opposite end of the tip defining an inlet which is sufficiently large to encompass the site of the sharp's injury;
• and
• a perimeter portion of the inlet of the tip being provided with a flexible annular sealing member to facilitate sealing against skin adjacent the site of the sharp's injury and expressing bodily fluid from the site of the sharp's injury in and through the intermediate reservoir during utilization of the apparatus, the inlet of the tip being sufficiently large to at least partially receive an end portion of a digit of an individual, the flexible sealing member being permanently supported by a periphery of the inlet and extending radially inwardly from the periphery to a seal against a circumference of the end portion of the received digit;
• the flexible sealing member having a passage with an inner circumference having a diameter small than a diameter of the inlet to achieve a fluid tight seal with the received digit, and the inner circumference being provided with an annular thickened area to facilitate insertion and removal of the received digit;
• and
• the tip being provided with a cap for closing the inlet of the tip, and the cap is connected to the tip by a flexible tether member.

An apparatus for generating a negative pressure for expressing bodily fluid from a site of a sharp's injury, the apparatus comprising:

• a negative pressure apparatus having a hollow tip for encasing the site of the sharp's injury and generating negative pressure in the tip to facilitate expressing bodily fluid from a site of a sharp's injury;
• the hollow tip defining an intermediate chamber therein, the hollow tip having one end being coupled to the negative pressure apparatus, and the opposite end of the tip defining an inlet which is sufficiently large to encompass the site of the sharp's injury;
• and
• a perimeter portion of the inlet of the tip being provided with a flexible annular sealing member to facilitate sealing against skin adjacent the site of the sharp's injury and expressing bodily fluid from the site of the sharp's injury in and through the intermediate reservoir during utilization of the apparatus, the inlet of the tip being sufficiently large to at least partially receive an end portion of a digit of an individual, and the flexible sealing member extends radially inwardly from a perimeter of the inlet to seal against a circumference of the end portion of the received digit.