Hepatitis C Contamination of Medication Vials Accessed with Sterile Needles and Syringes
| Autor: | Nathan G. Taylor, Janet van Vlymen, Julie Magnus, Sophie Breton, Rachel Phelan, Selena M. Sagan, Melanie Jaeger |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
medicine.medical_specialty
Hepatitis C virus Hepacivirus medicine.disease_cause Vial 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine 030202 anesthesiology Internal medicine medicine Patient treatment 030212 general & internal medicine Drug packaging Cells Cultured Drug Packaging business.industry Syringes Hepatitis C Contamination medicine.disease Pathogenicity Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine Needles Equipment Contamination business |
| Zdroj: | Anesthesiology. 131(2) |
| ISSN: | 1528-1175 |
| Popis: | Editor’s Perspective What We Already Know about This Topic What This Article Tells Us That Is New Background Health care–associated hepatitis C virus outbreaks from contaminated medication vials continue to be reported even though most practitioners deny reusing needles or syringes. The hypothesis was that when caring for hepatitis C virus–infected patients, healthcare providers may inadvertently contaminate the medication vial diaphragm and that subsequent access with sterile needles and syringes can transfer hepatitis C virus into the medication, where it remains stable in sufficient quantities to infect subsequent patients. Methods A parallel-arm lab study (n = 9) was performed in which contamination of medication vials in healthcare settings was simulated using cell culture–derived hepatitis C virus. First, surface-contaminated vials were accessed with sterile needles and syringes, and then hepatitis C virus contamination was assessed in cell culture. Second, after contaminating several medications with hepatitis C virus, viral infectivity over time was assessed. Last, surface-contaminated vial diaphragms were disinfected with 70% isopropyl alcohol to determine whether disinfection of the vial surface was sufficient to eliminate hepatitis C virus infectivity. Results Contamination of medication vials with hepatitis C virus and subsequent access with sterile needles and syringes resulted in contamination of the vial contents in sufficient quantities to initiate an infection in cell culture. Hepatitis C virus remained viable for several days in several commonly used medications. Finally, a single or 2- to 3-s wipe of the vial diaphragm with 70% isopropyl alcohol was not sufficient to eliminate hepatitis C virus infectivity. Conclusions Hepatitis C virus can be transferred into commonly used medications when using sterile single-use needles and syringes where it remains viable for several days. Furthermore, cleaning the vial diaphragm with 70% isopropyl alcohol is not sufficient to eliminate the risk of hepatitis C virus infectivity. This highlights the potential risks associated with sharing medications between patients. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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