In the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recently published Guide to Infection Prevention for Outpatient Settings: Minimum Expectations for Safe Care, the CDC provides the following nine key recommendations for safe injection practices in ambulatory care settings.
1. Use aseptic technique when preparing and administering medications.
2. Cleanse the access diaphragms of medication vials with 70 percent alcohol before inserting a device into the vial
3. Never administer medications from the same syringe to multiple patients, even if the needle is changed or the injection is administered through an intervening length of intravenous tubing.
4. Do not reuse a syringe to enter a medication vial or solution.
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5. Do not administer medications from single-dose or single-use vials, ampoules, or bags or bottles of intravenous solution to more than one patient.
6. Do not use fluid infusion or administration sets (e.g., intravenous tubing) for more than one patient.
7. Dedicate multidose vials to a single patient whenever possible. If multidose vials will be used for more than one patient, they should be restricted to a centralized medication area and should not enter the immediate patient treatment area (e.g., operating room, patient room/cubicle).
8. Dispose of used syringes and needles at the point of use in a sharps container that is closable, puncture-resistant, and leak-proof.
9. Adhere to federal and state requirements for protection of healthcare personnel from exposure to bloodborne pathogens.
Source: CDC
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