News

Safe Injection Practices in Dentistry

You may have heard about the recent large-scale patient notification in Oklahoma.  More than 7,000 patients have or will be notified to get tested for possible hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV transmission due to extensive breaches in infection control (including unsafe injection practices such as reported needle and syringe reuse for drawing up and administering medications from multidose medication vials and other mishandling of medications) at an oral surgery center. 

Read Full Article
New Tools to Help Clinicians Ensure Every Injection is Safe

Injection safety is part of the minimum expectation for safe care anywhere healthcare is delivered; yet, CDC has had to investigate outbreak after outbreak of life-threatening infections caused by injection errors.  How can this completely preventable problem continue to go unchecked?  Lack of initial and continued infection control training, denial of the problem, reimbursement pressures, drug shortages, and lack of appreciation for the consequences have all been used as excuses; but today there is no acceptable excuse for an unsafe injection in the United States.

Today, on CDC's Safe Healthcare Blog, the CDC and the Safe Injection Practices Coalition reveal a suite of new materials to make it easier for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers to learn about and follow safe injection practices.

Read Full Article
CDC Grand Rounds: The Impact of Unsafe Medical Injections in the U.S.

Injectable medicines are commonly used for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of various medical conditions. Yet, even in our sophisticated medical system, not all injections are given safely. In addition to exposing patients to life-threatening infections, unsafe injections are having a devastating financial toll on patients, healthcare providers, insurers/payors and public health systems. These harms are preventable through renewed attention to basic infection control and injection safety practices.

The Nov. 13, 2012 session of CDC Grand Rounds will explore how unsafe injection practices are impacting U.S. clinicians and patients in outpatient and inpatient medical settings. Presenters include experts from CDC, CMS, and New York State. 

Join the conversation: Follow @CDCgov for live tweets on Twitter and use the hashtag #CDCGroundRounds during the presentation. Questions can also be sent to grandrounds[at]cdc[dot]gov.

View Event Archive
Washington Post "Hepatitis & Liver Health" Supplement Raises Awareness – featuring the One & Only Campaign
Read full supplement
Endorsing the Safe Use of Single-Dose/Single-Use Vials

27 professional organizations and state health departments endorse the CDC's position on Single-Dose/Single-Use Vials.

In addition, several Safe Injection Practices Coalition Partners have issued their own statements on the CDC’s position. Click here to read more.

Read Full Article