Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026

A Procedure to Study the Effect of Prolonged Food Restriction on Heroin Seeking in Abstinent Rats
Published on: November 11, 2013
Intravenous drug users and broken needles--a hidden risk?
1Avon and Somerset Constabulary, Bristol, UK. guy@guynorfolk.demon.co.uk
Aims:
To determine the frequency with which intravenous drug users (IDUs) experience broken needles during their injecting careers.
Design:
Cross-sectional survey.
Participants:
Seventy intravenous drug users held in police custody in Bristol between May and September 2002.
Measurements:
Self-reported history of experience of broken needles.
Findings:
Fourteen (20%, 95% CI 11-29%) had experienced a needle breaking while injecting. The total number of broken needles was 23, of which 14 (61%) were recovered, four by surgical intervention, and the remainder as a result of direct action by the individual. Of the 23 broken needles, nine (39%) were reported to be fresh needles, whereas the remainder were being re-used.
Conclusions:
IDUs may well experience, directly or indirectly, incidents involving broken needles during the course of their injecting careers. Given the potential for embolization and the risk of subsequent complications when this occurs, we recommend that harm minimization guidance should include advice about this potential hazard and the need for early action to retrieve broken needles.
Related Concept Videos
Routes of Drug Administration: Parenteral
The intravenous route (IV) of drug administration can be further categorized into two types. The bolus injection administers the entire dose rapidly, while an intravenous infusion slowly delivers smaller doses steadily.
The IV route is often...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...
Drug Delivery: Parenteral Route
There are three primary parenteral routes: intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), and subcutaneous (SC). The IV route introduces the drug directly into the bloodstream, ensuring immediate action. The IM route...
Drug Accumulation During Multiple Dosing: Repetitive IV Injections
Drug Toxicity: Risk factors
Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios

