By PAUL HARASIM / RJ
A number of veterans as
well as doctors now
believe that Vietnam
veterans...could have
contracted hepatitis C
through unsafe jet gun
vaccinations.
While it’s possible the government’s position on transmission of hepatitis C among boomers may have resulted in less testing, it’s critical today boomers forget any fears of stigma and get the easy blood test.
American Journal
of Infection Control,
Volume 26, Issue
4, August
1998, Pages
442-445
Potential for
cross-contamination
from use of a
needless injector.
Annette M.
Weintraub, Manuel
Ponce de Leon
Abstract
Background:
Medical devices that
are used on patients
in fields containing
potentially
infectious body
fluids can become
contaminated and
transmit infectious
agents to other
sites on the patient
or to other patients
if the devices are
not properly cleaned
and decontaminated
after use on each
patient treatment
site. One such
device is the
needleless or jet
injector, which is
widely used in
medicine and
dentistry to deliver
local anesthetic in
procedures such as
bone marrow
aspirations, lumbar
punctures, and
cutaneous and
intraoral
injections. This
study was conducted
to determine whether
cross-contamination
can occur on in
vitro reuse of a
needleless injector
and whether a
manufacturer’s
recommended method
of injector
decontamination (ie,
immersion
sterilization) is
effective in the
prevention of
cross-contamination.
Methods: The
study was performed
with new autoclaved
injectors,
fluorescein dye, and
Streptococcus crista
(the bacteria
commonly found in
saliva) in the field
of use to determine
whether these
devices can become
contaminated during
use and carry over
the contamination to
other sites during
immediate reuse.
Results:
Fluorescein dye and
bacteria
tests with the
needleless injectors
showed that
contamination or
carryover does
occur.
It appeared to be
reduced to a minimum
when an autoclaved,
sterile rubber cap
used over the head
of the device during
injection was
replaced between
each use, although
replacement of the
rubber cap alone did
not prevent
carryover. Immersion
of the head of the
injector in a 2%
glutaraldehyde
solution for 30
minutes followed by
a sterile water
rinse and the
replacement of the
rubber cap with a
sterile cap between
uses was shown to
curtail bacterial
growth and prevent
cross-contamination
on immediate reuse
of the device.
Conclusion:
This study
demonstrated that
needleless injectors
become contaminated
during in vitro use
and direct contact
with contaminated
surfaces and that
needleless injectors
carry over the
contamination to
subsequent sites of
release.
The replacement of
the injector’s
rubber cap with a
new one after
initial discharge or
the removal of an
exposed rubber cap
and immersion of the
head of the injector
in 2% glutaraldehyde
followed by a rinse
of the head in
sterile water, as
recommended by one
injector
manufacturer, can
minimize or
eliminate the
carryover.
