Safe injection practices for administration of propofol

Area of Science:

• Healthcare-associated infections
• Patient safety
• Anesthesiology

Background:

• Sepsis and postoperative infections are linked to unsafe medication administration practices.
• Contamination of propofol and improper use of injectable medications, such as syringe reuse and multi-patient vial use, contribute to infection outbreaks.
• Existing surveys highlight perioperative practices concerning injectable medications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To understand infection outbreaks linked to injectable medications.
• To propose strategies for improving medication administration safety.
• To encourage the adoption of new clinical practices and guiding principles for propofol use.

Main Methods:

• Convening a group of clinicians by the US Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Reviewing investigation findings of infection outbreaks.
• Analyzing survey data on perioperative medication practices.

Main Results:

• Identified unsafe practices include syringe reuse, multi-patient vial use, and failure to adhere to aseptic techniques.
• Bacterial growth in or contamination of propofol is a significant cause of infection.
• Proposed data collection to drive practice changes and develop guiding principles for propofol administration.

Conclusions:

• Adherence to aseptic techniques and infection control is critical in medication administration.
• Implementing guiding principles for propofol use can reduce infection risks.
• Resources are available to assist perioperative nurses in minimizing postoperative infections related to medication administration.