> On Nov. 29, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a safety alert calling on all health care facilities to use safer needles. The alert noted that using safer products could lead to an 80% reduction in injuries. Fifty types of protected needles and syringes have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for sale; however, the American Nurses Association reports that only about 15% of hospitals use safer needles, largely because they are more expensive.