NURSING SYMPOSIUM
ON
SAFE INJECTION PRACTICES
&
HANDLING OF SHARPS
CDC recommendations for safe injection
practices
They apply to the use of needles/cannulas/ syringes
and where applicable intravenous delivery systems.
1. Use aseptic technique to avoid contamination of
sterile injection equipment.
2. Do not administer medications from a syringe to
multiple patients, even if the needle or cannula on
the syringe is changed. They are single use items,
should not be reused even to access a medication
or solution that might be used for a subsequent
patient.
Why follow safe injection practices?
• To avoid serious injuries, hospital associated
infections, health care associated infections.
• These infections are:
• HIV
• Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C
• Prefer the use of safety engineered syringes.
To prevent re-use.
• Avoid overuse of injections for illnesses for
which effective oral medications exist.
Handling of sharps
• Sharps are defined in the “National Guidelines for
the Management of Clinical and related Wastes”
(published by the National Health and Medical
Research Council) as:
• “Objects or devices having acute rigid corners,
edges points or protuberances capable of cutting
or penetrating the skin”.
• Hypodermic needles, pasteur pipettes, scalpel
blades, lancets and broken glass all fit this
definition.
• All sharps have the potential to cause injury
through cuts or puncture wounds.
• Sharps can cause accidental injections and
cuts when improperly handled.
• In addition, many sharps are contaminated
with blood or body fluids, microbiological
materials, toxic chemicals or radioactive
substances, posing a risk of infection or illness
if they penetrate the skin.
• Blood contaminated sharps can spread viruses
such as those causing Hepatitis B, C and HIV.
Safe handling procedure:
If you use sharps during the course of your
work, there are some basic procedures for
safe handling:
• Do not recap / re-sheath needles or lancets.
• Scalpel blades should be removed and
disposed of using artery forceps.
• Do not ask for a sharp item to be taken from
you or to be disposed of by someone else.
• Do not walk unnecessary distances with a
sharp in hand.
• Dispose of sharps in an appropriate sharps container;
never in a waste bin or plastic bag.
• Dispose of sharps immediately after use – not later –
to avoid needle stick injuries.
• When disposing sharps in a container:
– place the sharp end in first i.e. pointing it away from the
body;
– drop the item in rather than push;
– do not place hands inside the container.
• Sharps containers should be replaced when 75% full.
• Sharps containers should be sealed after use.
• Ensure that the sharps container is closed for disposal.
• DO NOT uncover or unwrap the sharp object
until it is time to use it.
• Sharps containers should be at eye level and
within your reach.
• If a needle is sticking out of the container, do
not push it in with your hands. Get the
container removed or use tongs to push it in
carefully.
• If you find an uncovered sharp object outside
of a disposal container, it is safe to pick it up
only if you can grasp the non-sharp end. If you
cannot, use tongs to pick it up and dispose it.
