Reduce exposure to bloodborne pathogens by following best practices. Regulators with the Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH) would like to provide a reminder on the use of needles, syringes and fingerstick devices and single -dose/single-use medication vials.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), needles, syringes and fingerstick devices are to be used per the manufacturer’s instructions that notes they are for single use only. The reuse of these devices is prohibited as it can lead to the spread of bloodborne pathogens such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. When using fingerstick devices, changing the lancet does not make the pen portion of the fingerstick device reusable even if the pen is disinfected between uses. This concept is the same for changing the needle on a syringe. These devices can retain small portions of blood unseen by the naked eye and therefore have the potential to spread disease if reused. The shared use of these devices is one of the common root causes of exposure and infections in health care settings. The same practice should be used with single-dose medication vials. A single-dose/single-use vial is a vial of liquid medication intended for parenteral administration (injection or infusion) that is meant for use in a single patient for a single case/procedure/injection. Single-dose or single-use vials are labeled as such by the manufacturer and typically lack an antimicrobial preservative. According to CDC, even if a single-dose/single-use vial appears to contain multiple doses or contains more medication that is needed for a single patient, that vial should neither be used for more than one patient nor stored for future use on the same patient. If the single-dose or single-use vial will be entered more than once for a single patient as part of a single procedure, it should be with a new needle and new syringe, and the vial must be discarded at the end of the procedure and not stored for future use. To help your facility’s efforts toward education of safe injection practices and the prevention of exposing patients and health care personnel to avoidable risks, links are provided below to educational resources.
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Proposed changes now being enforced by health facilities regulators Health facilities should be aware that recently proposed regulations (LCB File No. R048-22) are now in effect and must be followed.
The regulations amend Nevada Administrative Code Chapter 449 (Medical Facilities and Other Related Entities) and Chapter 450B (Emergency Medical Services). Issues addressed by the changes include:
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AuthorThe Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance (HCQC) licenses medical and other health facilities, child care facilities and personnel, and medical laboratories and personnel in Nevada. HCQC also conducts compliance surveys and takes complaints. Archives
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