Whether you’re working in a hospital or a doctor’s office, you’ll sometimes be asked to administer injections with different types of needles or sharps. After administering the injection, you need to safely dispose of the materials that are used. You also need to know how to protect yourself and the patient before and during the injection. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Protective Equipment
There are a few pieces of equipment that you can wear when working with patients for sharps safety. Gloves and a mask are the most common. You can also wear a gown to keep fluids from getting on your skin or your clothes. If you’re working with unknown fluids, then consider wearing thicker gloves or even two sets of gloves for added protection.
Condition of Equipment
Examine the condition of the needles and the other equipment that you’re going to use. The needle shouldn’t be bent as this could result in an abnormal injection or an injection in the wrong area. All equipment should be properly sealed before it’s used so that it’s sterile when it’s removed from the package.
Disposal
One component of sharps safety is that you should dispose of the needles and other equipment as soon as they are used. There should be a red box in the room where you’re administering the injection. This box is only for sharps and should be emptied at regular intervals. Gowns and other protective equipment should be placed in a hazardous container or thrown in the proper receptacle so that it can be disposed of in a safe location or washed.
Contact Sharp Fluidics for more tips about safety while working with sharps and other medical equipment.
