Safe Injection Practices to Prevent Transmission of Bloodborne Pathogens

Core Principles of Safe Injection Practice

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends applying standard precautions consistently for all patients, treating all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious regardless of known infection status 1, 3, 4
Healthcare workers must wear gloves whenever touching blood, body fluids, or contaminated items, and use protective barriers including gloves, masks, and eye protection when exposure to blood or body fluids is anticipated 1, 5, 2

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends never recapping used needles using both hands or any technique directing the needle point toward any body part, and never bending, breaking, or removing needles before disposal 1
Place used disposable syringes, needles, and sharp items immediately in appropriate puncture-resistant containers located as close as feasible to the area of use 1

Implement engineering controls including safer devices with built-in safety features, and evaluate and select devices with engineered safety features at least annually 1
Avoid unnecessary injections and use needleless systems when practical, and clean injection sites with new alcohol swabs before each injection 6, 7

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all healthcare workers with potential occupational exposure to blood must be offered hepatitis B vaccination series, and test for anti-HBs antibodies 1-2 months after completing the 3-dose vaccination series 1

Never reuse or share syringes, needles, or drug-preparation equipment between patients, and medications and supplies must not be shared among patients 7, 5

In hemodialysis centers, gloves must be worn whenever patients or hemodialysis equipment is touched, and assign specific dialysis stations to patients; clean chairs and beds after each use 5, 2
In home infusion therapy, ensure patients and families are informed of potential risks for bloodborne pathogen infection, and provide training with standardized curriculum including appropriate infection-control procedures 5

Establish protocols for reporting and follow-up of percutaneous or permucosal exposures to blood or body fluids, and follow CDC recommendations immediately after exposure 5, 2, 1

Using multiple-use nozzle jet injectors without proper cleaning between patients increases transmission risk, and sharing multi-dose vials, medication containers, or IV bags between patients is not recommended 8, 9, 10, 5
Inadequate hand hygiene between patients increases transmission risk, and strict adherence to safe injection practices prevents transmission of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV in healthcare settings 1, 5, 3