Meet Joe. To his family, his co-workers and his community, he's their one and only.
But today, Joe is just one of many patients in the hospital due to infection.
If only safe injection practices had been performed properly. It was right there in
Standard Precautions, at the heart of CDC's evidence-based guidelines. All the precautions
needed to help prevent infections in any healthcare setting -- all based on evidence -- and
all spelled out in detail. If only the clinic that initially treated
Joe had known. Or, maybe they thought safe injection practices were no big deal ... except
it was a big deal for Joe.
It all started with a pain in Joe's hip. So, he went to his orthopedic clinic ... where
he got an injection to ease his pain.
That's where things went wrong. The clinic gave Joe a dose of medication from a single
dose vial -- a vial that had already been opened and used. Since single dose vials lack
preservatives, there was nothing to stop the bacteria from growing once the vial was punctured.
So the bacteria in the vial easily hitched a ride with the injection that went deep into
Joe's hip.
The infection spread quickly. Joe was rushed to the hospital where he's being treated
with IV antibiotics.
Now, these healthcare professionals are on top of their game.
They practice proper hand hygiene before handling any medication.
And they're careful to prepare every injection properly. In fact, there's a designated
clean medication area where injections are drawn up and labeled just ahead of each individual
patient's needs. This space is away from areas where patients are treated and where
any used or soiled equipment and materials might be.
They also know that the patient himself is one of those potential contaminants. Everything
from Joe's medication bag to the catheter in his body is part of a single, interconnected
system that's directly or indirectly exposed to Joe's blood. None of this equipment can
ever be used on another patient.
The clinicians here think about that. They even think about safety when they re-supply
their medications, requesting the smallest vials that meet their individual patients'
needs. They also consult with pharmacists and others to learn whether pre-filled syringes
or other "ready-to-deliver" unit-dose packaging is available.
You see, this team knows that single means single -- the one and only dose, syringe
and needle for this one and only Joe.
When it's time to prepare a patient's injection or infusion, they choose an unopened
single-dose vial and swab the rubber septum to disinfect it.
Then they use a new sterile syringe and sterile needle -- for every patient and every injection.
After that one-time use, every syringe and needle is discarded. The single dose vial
is also discarded, even if there's a little medication left. Without preservatives, the
risk of contamination is just too high and the need to protect the patient is way too
important.
Thankfully, Joe is getting better. And now, everyone knows: if you want to be part of
his healthcare team, you have to follow safe injection practices ... all of them ... every
time.
So, don't wait. Learn more. Go to One-and-Only Campaign.org website and review the materials
there. Double check your practices against the checklist. Take an Injection Safety CME.
Talk about it in staff meetings. Speak up if you see an unsafe practice. And always,
always, always use a sterile syringe, needle and single dose vial once and only once ...
Because you only get one opportunity to protect the one and only Joe.