APIC position paper: Safe injection, infusion, and medication vial practices in health care

Outbreaks involving the transmission of bloodborne pathogens or other microbial pathogens to patients in various types of healthcare settings due to unsafe injection, infusion, and medication vial practices are unacceptable. Each of the outbreaks could have been prevented by the use of proper aseptic technique in conjunction with basic infection prevention practices for handling parenteral medications, administration of injections, and procurement and sampling of blood. This document provides practice guidance for health care facilities on essential safe injection, infusion, and vial practices that should be consistently implemented in such settings.