FAQs
1. Why was PICKPAK developed?
In 1989 the CDC (Center for Disease Control) estimated 1 in 250 Americans were HIV positive - Human Immunodeficiency Virus (which leads to AIDS). Also, 1.25 million Americans had Hepatitis B (HBV) and furthermore identified new, more resistant strains of Tuberculosis (TB).
In 1999 the occurrence rate estimates increased to 1 in 100 having HIV, 1 in 50 having Hepatitis C (HCV), which wasn't even identified 10 years earlier and more may have Hepatitis B (HBV).
Because an individual infected with HIV or Hepatitis is usually un-insurable, the information is protected under the Privacy Act and remains private therefore; the statistics may be even higher. The risks of becoming infected are very real in every day treatment of wounds and dealing with the cleanup of body fluids.
2. Where did the PICK® name come from?
PICK® is a registered trademark for PICK International, Inc. It is an acronym for: Precautionary Infection Control Kits
3. How can I learn more about the PICKPAK System?
Additional information is available throughout this Web site (www.pickpak.com). For additional information, you can contact your local safety distributor or you can call PICK International directly at 1-940-723-9271.
4. How is OSHA involved?
In 1991 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) established federal regulations (CFR29 Section 1910.1030) to protect employees from contamination of blood borne pathogens such as HIV, HBV, HCV, TB and other infectious diseases. Subsequently, states began to adopt blood borne pathogen guidelines that meet or exceed federal requirements.
5. Besides OSHA, who else regulates blood borne pathogens?
Once other governing bodies recognized that exposure risks existed, independent organizations such as the National Collegian Athletic Association (NCAA), National Federation of Schools and University Interscholastic League (UIL), just to name a few, adopted rules and regulation changes to address the problem and give guidance to protect it's membership. The goals were/are to educate on risks, and establish procedures to follow to eliminate exposure and spread of disease during everyday treatment of injuries.
6. How does the PICKPAK system help the professional first responder?
If you have any doubt about the seriousness of the problem, read the following emergency personnel response to the proposed OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standard by the Emergency Medical Services Committee for the International Association of Fire Chiefs:
The pre-hospital emergency care providers, unlike their counterparts in hospitals and other medical facilities, do not have the luxury of controlled clinical environments. As has already been stated, field delivery of medical care often involves the challenges of adverse operating conditions, limited equipment, resources and limited time. The emergency medical providers must often contend with very hazardous situations, violent and uncooperative patients and hostile bystanders. The house call, once a regular part of a physician's practice, is now almost exclusively the duty of the emergency responder.
There is no such thing as a sterile work environment for emergency medical responders. Theirs is often one of the untenable work conditions, whether attempting to safety deliver a baby on the floor of an abandoned tenement, strewn with human waste and drug paraphernalia, or crawling through the shattered window of a motor vehicle to treat an accident victim, contending with broken glass, jagged metal and leaking fuel. The explosive growth in drug use all over the United States now places the emergency rescuer directly on the battleground, often having to deal with the aftermath of a drug deal gone bad. The rescuer can do little to change the dynamics of the situation. This is the world in which we must operate.
This is why the standard must be raised requiring everyone to treat potential contact with body fluids as if it were infectious and deadly.
7. How does the PICKPAK system help the person trained in basic or advanced first aid?
The person trained in basic or advanced first aid will benefit from PICKPAK just like the professional first responder. When using pre-arranged, injury specific treatment ‘procedures’ the scope of practice (the PICKPAK) is limited to the scope of training. This is particularly important to Risk Managers. The PICKPAK system will insure that each responder will administer the same treatment every time for that specific type of injury.
8. How are companies prepared to offer first aid?
Most companies and organizations have utilized first aid cabinets, first aid boxes, or first aid bags. No matter the configuration, they are all supply stations. Where there are supplies, there are choices to be made. Where there are choices, there can be errors made. The private and public sector responded to the mandates by spending more money to increase awareness, increase first aid supplies, modifying existing supply cabinets and added personal protection supplies. Furthermore, they increased expenditures on how to use the supplies properly. As noble as their efforts may be, is it the most effective solution to an ever-increasing problem? To expect increased training and modifying supply stations to adequately protect their staff and our world is somewhat "short-sighted."
9. What is a PICKPAK procedure?
One needs only to look at institutions that devote 100% of their resources to treating the injured and preventing the spread of infectious disease for the answers. Hospitals have long understood the value of developing and implementing the use of prepackaged procedures. Procedures that are designed to be treatment-specific, engineered by qualified health care professionals, to meet acceptable standards of medical practice. Almost every medical procedure performed by staff of a hospital is aided by the use of procedure kits. Why? Are they not the best-trained persons in society? Do we question their knowledge not to allow them to use a supply station and choose what bandage or supply they want to use and when during treatment? Of course not!
Does it make sense that the best-trained healthcare professionals use procedure paks and the least trained public does not? What if healthcare personnel design and engineer less technical first aid procedure paks for everyday occurrences of burns, cuts, abrasions and lacerations? What if these proposed medical treatment procedure paks could incorporate infection control measures for the alternate care site such as little league fields, factory floors, daycare centers, homes, autos, etc. to meet the Federal mandates?
10. Why Procedures over Supplies?
There are many reasons why the use of procedure systems is the method of choice by hospitals, not the least of which are:
1. Ease of use/ convenience. (All components necessary for treatment are packaged in order of use without need to search through loose supplies).
2. Infection control. (Most procedure kits are FDA approved sterile, single use, and disposable. Thereby, preventing reuse of possible contaminated supplies).
3. Improved productivity/ time utilization. (In an emergency situation, time is a valuable commodity. Procedure paks provide the necessary supplies in step-by-step order for speed and efficiency).
4. Materials management. (Procedure paks have been proven to be easier inventoried than counting individual components of each pak).
5. Minimizes liability. (Procedure paks by their nature limit the scope of practice of personnel. Everyone performing the same procedure, the same way, with the same products eliminates choices and eliminating errors that can lead to malpractice and liability).
11. Is PICKPAK patented?
Yes, PICK International, Inc. has patented the PICKPAK product.
12. How could PICKPAK help me in my everyday life?
This unique procedure kit known as the PICKPAK could revolutionize first aid procedures in every facet of a person’s life--at work, play, driving down the freeway. Imagine driving down the highway and being the first person to discover an auto accident with injuries. The injuries are such that an individual, unknown to you, is bleeding requiring emergency medical attention. You are the only person available to apply first aid treatment, but you do not have appropriate medical supplies or even if you had it would you know how to use it? THE QUESTIONS IS “DO YOU ATTEMPT TO SAVE A PERSONS’ LIFE WITHOUT PROTECTION AND RISK YOUR OWN LIFE???” If you administer first aid and try to stop the bleeding without protection, you may place your own life at risk by contaminating yourself. However, assume that in your glove compartment you carry a PICKPAK. You now have all the necessary sterile equipment, supplies, and protection (packed in the correct order of use with direction for use) to properly administer first aid and, at the same time, adequately protect yourself from any infectious diseases that the injured party may unknowingly carry. A complete medical treatment with built in infection control procedures. Even if you had been fortunate enough to have in your possession a first aid kit – HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT IT WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY CONTAMINATED OR THAT NECESSARY SUPPLIES WERE MISSING?
13. What is cross contamination and how does it affect supply kits?
When working from a supply station a caregiver will usually work from the supply station to the wound site, returning to the station to retrieve product as they need it. The problem is that the first time one moves from a wound site back to the station to retrieve product, they potentially contaminate all soft goods contained within. What about using a roll of tape that had been used previously by contaminated hands and returned to the cabinet to be used later? Individually packaged sterile first aid procedure paks such as PICKPAK eliminate this possibility.
14. What effect does PICKPAK have on first aid?
PICKPAK is revolutionizing first aid delivery by making our world a safer place for all. PICKPAK PREVENTS THE SPREAD OF HIV, HEPATITIS, TUBERCULOSIS AND OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES. Not since Bandaid® brand has there been a product introduced with so much potential to change the way we look at first aid safety and delivery. This product can be used in schools; athletics; transportation; in the auto industry, as a glove box give-away; or in any industrial or office environment - "from factory floors to your neighbors front doors." The product is easy to use "step by step" and all the necessary supplies are in the correct order to protect the first aid provider, administer proper first aid, with clean up and disposal of any potential contaminated material in one convenient FDA approved pak.
15. Does PICK manufacture industry specific first aid kits, i.e., travel, boat, office, etc?
PICKPAKs are available in a prearranged "first aid kit." However, PICK does not focus necessarily on industry, but injury. A laceration occurring to your fishing partner, hunting companion, co-worker or little league pitcher is the same injury. The same precautions should be taken regardless of who they are or where they are.
16. What type of first aid kits does PICK assemble?
PICK assembles first aid kits based upon the training level of the individual. If one is trained in basic first aid, controlled bleeding, burn care, musculoskeletal injuries or advanced first aid including all the basic skills and CPR and AED; PICK has a first aid kit specifically for those individuals. However, ALL of our products incorporate safe blood borne pathogen training skills.
17. What if I don’t see a PICKPAK first aid kit that meets my needs?
That is the great thing about the PICKPAK system! Each procedure pak may be purchased ‘al la carte.’ Customizing a new or modifying an existing first aid kit has never been easer, more cost efficient and most importantly, more safe!
18. What type of products does PICK offer?
The theory of developing convenient pre-packaged procedure kits to address specific needs or injuries has launched several additional products to establish a well rounded product line. Each new product is a result of our mission statement. PICK produces the finest first aid products in the world by letting our customers needs drive product innovation as well as Federal and State mandates.
The PICKPAK product line can be broken down into (4) main categories:
1. Bundling/Kits of categories 2, 3 and 4
2. First Aid
3. Life Support
4. Bio-Spill Clean Up, Disposal and Personal Protection
19. What type of packaging is involved in a PICKPAK?
The PICKPAK packaging is as unique to the alternate care market as the product itself. However, hospital personnel are very familiar with this type of hospital grade blister pack. This means that our product is tested by the strictest standards of the Food and Drug Administration. The lid of each blister pack is a Tyvek® material. This material provides a pathway to sterilize the contents of the PICKPAK, but this pathway is tortuous enough to NOT allow harmful pathogens such as HIV and hepatitis. If you have a PICKPAK, take one and slowly press it between your hands, this will displace all the air on the inside the package. This feature not only allows for the sterilizations process, but also allows the pak to accept pressure changes very well. This is a benefit in environments such as airplanes and submarines.
20. Can the PICKPAK get wet?
Just like gauze and bandages, the PICKPAK lid cannot get wet. This compromises the sterility and contents of the product. PICK has developed several dispensing systems to protect and preserve each pak. For example, our first responder pak is designed with water resistant materials to protect the contents. Also, each first aid kit is a Type III container which is intended for portable use in the mobile industries and/or outdoor settings where the environment is a factor. Also, we provide special secondary packaging for situations where the elements might pose an issue. Additional type kits/cabinets will soon be released.
21. What is the expiration date of the PICKPAK sterility?
A: Each sterile PICKPAK will stay sterile indefinitely so long as the pak is unopened and undamaged.
22. Do the PICKPAKs have a shelf life?
Some PICKPAKs have an indefinite shelf life. Like some components in traditional first aid kits, there are components in some PICKPAKs that will expire. Even though the seal of the PICKPAK will not expire, some components will. PICK is required by the FDA to move an expiration date on an internal component in a PICKPAK from the component packaging to the PICKPAK label. Therefore, if you find an expiration date on a PICKPAK it is due to a component such as burn gel not the entire pak itself. PICKPAKs with expiration dates are usually for 3-5 years. NOTE: ANSI Z308.1-2003 states that first aid kits should be regularly inspected to ensure completeness, condition of contents and expiration dates to maintain compliance.
23. Will the need for PICKPAK go away?
The need and demand for this product will not disappear over time. It will only become greater as infectious diseases continue to escalate and change through mutation.