Patient Notification Events Due to Syringe Reuse and Mishandling of Injectable Medications by Health Care Personnel—United States, 2012–2018: Summary and Recommended Actions for Prevention and Response - ScienceDirect

Patient Notification Events Due to Syringe Reuse and Mishandling of Injectable Medications by Health Care Personnel—United States, 2012–2018: Summary and Recommended Actions for Prevention and Response - ScienceDirect

Patient Notification Events Due to Syringe Reuse

Patient Notification Events Due to Syringe Reuse and Mishandling of Injectable Medications by Health Care Personnel

United States, 2012-2018: Summary and Recommended
Actions for Prevention and Response

February 2020 marks the 10-year anniversary of the Safe Injection Practices Coalition and its One & Only Campaign, a public health effort to eliminate unsafe medical injections. Targeted educational efforts have reminded healthcare providers about the basics of injection safety, but there is still more to be done.

The recent Mayo Clinic Proceedings study summarizes patient notifications about potential exposures to blood-contaminated medications or injection equipment from 2012 through 2018. These new data bring the total number of US patients notified since 2001 to nearly 200,000. 

It is the responsibility of all healthcare providers to ensure adherence to safe injection practices. Providers should never administer medications from the same syringe to more than one patient, and never enter a vial with a used syringe or needle. A good rule to remember is one needle, one syringe, only one time. This study provides recommended actions for prevention and response.

Share this article and join the injection safety listserv to stay up-to-date about the One & Only Campaign and CDC’s efforts to reduce outbreaks associated with unsafe injection practices.