New pre-filled device lowers cross contamination risk
An organisation involved in the development of specialty devices designed to increase patient safety has launched a new line of pre-filled saline IV syringes in the UK.
The ZR syringes from Bracknell-based company Baxa in the UK, are claimed to offer increased assurance of sterility, lower costs and less shelf-space than their alternatives, while promoting best practice in IV care.
Nearly all in-patients require an intravenous solution at some point during their stay in hospital. According to a study by the Infection Control Journal, 8% of saline solutions manually prepared by nursing staff were contaminated by micro-organisms1. Using typical methods, which involve drawing up a saline solution from an ampoule, cross contamination is a genuine risk. By contrast, the ZR syringes are prepared and packaged within a completely sterile environment, reducing the number of procedures and therefore the risk associated with manual saline solution preparation via a needle, syringe or pod.
By adopting pre-filled flush syringes, which are available without prescription, the number of stages for dose preparation are reduced, which leads to greater compliance with ANTT (Aseptic Non-Touch Technique), recommended by NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence)2. Cross contamination is a genuine risk in manual saline flush syringe preparation.
The new flush syringes are available as 10 mL and 5 mL units. Each syringe is clearly labelled in accordance with NPSA Alert 201, which aims to reduce liquid medication errors. Their clear syringe barrels assist visual inspection prior to use; a pull-off tip cap indicates whether the seal is broken and also prevents syringe re-use. Each ZR syringe has a two-year shelf life. Expiry dates are clearly visible to nursing staff.
The company has also added a range of pre-filled saline intravenous flush syringes for catheter care in UK health systems.
“The time is right for pre-fills in the UK,” said Baxa managing director Terry Aston. “Research and industry best practice widely acknowledges that the greater the number of procedures in preparation of medication, the greater the risk of cross-contamination. ZR pre-filled syringes reduce risk and are far more convenient to use.”
