[Needle-free connection systems with Luer disinfectant. Protection of the patient and the nursing staff].
The most frequent on the job accident for nursing personnel is accidentally stabbing oneself in the skin with a syringe. The effect of this accident can be considered to be very serious whenever the syringe has been in direct contact with a blood vessel, especially if it has been used to draw blood samples. On the other hand, the handling of intravenous catheters is associated with a high number of infections and the risk of an accident increases in terms of the number of times one handles them. The use of a three-way valve lowers the risk of an on the job accident due to pricking since by means of a three-way valve, it is possible to introduce liquids or medicines into a blood vessel, or to carry out extractions from a vessel, without having to use a needle. However, its use has not reduced the possibility of infections in catheters. Besides allowing one to handle a catheter without a needle, non-needle connection systems using Luer disinfectant, due to their design, make it possible to noticeably reduce the risk of nosocomial infections. In this article, the author describes the characteristics, working methods, and advantages of this kind of connectors.
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002404:Catheterization; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004202:Disinfectants; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009729:Nursing
D004202:Disinfectants