[NPInfo] Reusing syringes with multi-dose vials

[suernfnp at iwon.com]

The public is paying attention to this! At the clinic this week, giving a child a vaccine, the mom asked me to show her the new syringe and needle, and asked for a single use vial of vaccine (which is all we carry). Of course, it would be impossible to monitor syringe and vial reuse while receiving a scope.

Sue D in MI




 --- On Sat 03/08, Mary K. Beck < mary.beck at charter.net > wrote:
From: Mary K. Beck [mailto: mary.beck at charter.net]
To: npinfo at nurse.net, np-clinical at nurse.net, acc-circle at listserve.com
Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2008 15:24:04 -0600
Subject: [NPInfo] Reusing syringes with multi-dose vials

Hi Lists,<br><br>Have you heard about the problems at a number of Las Vegas endoscopy<br>centers? Apparently it was common practice at these centers for<br>anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists to withdraw medication from a<br>multi-use vial, inject the med into an IV line (where small amounts of a<br>patient's blood could backflow and contaminate the needle/syringe), then<br>remove and discard the needle. But then they'd put a new sterile needle on<br>the same syringe and withdraw medicine from a multi-use vial to give to the<br>patient. The multi-use vials of medications were then contaminated with the<br>blood of patients, and this was passed on to other patients who received<br>medication from the vials. This only surfaced when six patients tested<br>positive for Hepatitis C, and public health authorities traced it back to<br>the endoscopy centers. <br><br> <br><br>http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i8B3EkgPbRHRxqB6l6BG6ZL1bn9QD8V90TAG0<br><br> <br><br>Editorial: 
http://www.lvrj.com/news/16174527.html<br><br> <br><br>This seems like very shoddy practice to me. People are angry and worried.<br>Some 40,000 patients in Nevada have to be tested for Hepatitis B, C and HIV.<br>How common is this practice? As a potential patient this practice worries me<br>(a lot). As a medical professional in Wisconsin who is working on<br>legislation to de-criminalize medical errors, I see this as a major setback.<br><br><br> <br><br>What do you make of this?<br><br> <br><br>Mary Beck, NP<br><br>Lake Mills, WI<br><br>  <br><br> <br><br>_______________________________________________<br>NPInfo mailing list<br>NPInfo at nurse.net<br>http://lists.nurse.net/mailman/listinfo/npinfo<br>*****************************<br>

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