title: The safety of multi-dose vials in allergy immunotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To prospectively evaluate the risks of vial contamination after routine clinical use of multiple-dose vials for immunotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observational study of immunotherapy vial cultures from June 2007 to January 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary care outpatient otolaryngology clinic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over an 8-month period, 136 consecutive vials were cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria at the 3-month expiration date after regular use in an outpatient allergy clinic and dispensation of multiple doses of injection immunotherapy from each vial. All vials had negative cultures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immunotherapy vials are at low risk to undergo contamination in routine use. Important factors include aseptic technique, bacteriostatic agents, and expiration dating.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. Slin30@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Sandra Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: P Chase
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Lay
authors.forename: Larry F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bass
mesh_terms: D004340:Drug Contamination; D004349:Drug Packaging; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment