Spotlight on Infection Prevention: Safe Injection Practices

Author: Terri Lee Roberts, BSN, RN, CIC, FAPIC

Safe injection practices are part of Standard Precautions, providing for patient safety and health care provider protections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), syringe reuse and misuse of medication vials over the past decade have resulted in dozens of infectious outbreaks and the need to alert more than 100,000 patients to seek testing for infection with hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and HIV. This harm is preventable!

For more information, please visit the CDC’s Injection Safety website:
http://www.cdc.gov/injectionsafety

The One & Only Campaign

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Safe Injection Practices Coalition lead the One & Only Campaign, a public health initiative to increase awareness of safe injection practices. Its goal is to eliminate infections resulting from unsafe injection practices. Remember “One Needle, One Syringe, Only One Time” for each and every injection! For example, use a new syringe and new needle when drawing up more propofol for an infusion. Never re-use tubing for infusions between patients, even if it is auxiliary tubing inserted upstream into the patients main i.v. line.

For more information, please visit the One and Only Campaign website.
http://www.oneandonlycampaign.org

Sharps Disposal Containers

Used sharps need to be disposed of immediately into a sharps container approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These containers have been evaluated for safety and effectiveness to help reduce the risk of injury and infections from sharps. FDA-cleared sharps disposal containers are made from puncture-resistant materials with leak-resistant sides and bottom and a tight fitting, puncture-resistant lid. These containers are labeled to warn of hazardous waste and marked with a line to indicate when the container is considered full. Close and properly dispose of the container when it is full.

For more information, please visit the CDC’s Stop Sticks Campaign website and the FDA’s Medical Devices website.