One needle, one syringe, only one time? Survey of physicians and nurses shows some may not be following basic standards of care

One needle, one syringe, only one time? A survey of physician and nurse knowledge, attitudes, and practices around injection safety - American Journal of Infection Control

One needle, one syringe, only one time?

Survey of physicians and nurses shows some may not be following basic standards of care

A new CDC paper, published in the American Journal of Infection Control, reports 12% of physicians and 3% of nurses indicate reuse of syringes for more than one patient occurs in their workplace. This survey suggests a dangerous minority of providers may be violating basic standards of care and the paper underlines the need for additional training and education.

To ensure adherence to safe injection practices healthcare facilities can:

• Provide training on all aspects of Standard Precautions.
• Perform routine audits of adherence to safe injection practices.
• Remind healthcare providers they have an obligation to intervene if they observe unsafe practices in the workplace.

Take action!

• Read the new CDC paper and share it with your colleagues.
• Learn more about CDC’s One & Only Campaign and its efforts to educate providers about safe injection practices.
• Tweet the message below.  

Safe injection practices are critical to the overall safety of healthcare delivery. CDC reminds healthcare personnel to never reuse a needle or syringe for more than one patient or to enter a medication container. A good rule to remember is One Needle, One Syringe, Only One Time. Improper use of syringes, needles and medication containers can transmit infectious diseases such as hepatitis and HIV.