From: sbharris@ix.netcom.com(Steven B. Harris)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: sterile technique?
Date: 4 Sep 2000 06:36:06 GMT

In <39B335B2.EA369556@emory.edu> "Andrew Chung, MD/PhD"
<achung@emory.edu> writes:

>selah* wrote:
>
>> [This message has also been posted.]
>>
>> Then I should ask this question: why bother to wipe the skin or vial
>> septum with alcohol before injecting?
>
>To decrease the amount of bacteria on the surface of either the container
>or the skin. Wiping with alcohol does not sterilize (by definition 100%
>kill).
>
>
>>
>>
>> I have seen people get sick from injecting fluids that had been exposed
>> to unsterile air.
>
>There is never a time when people are injected with fluids that have not
>been exposed to unsterile air.  As soon as the needle is bared in order
>to either draw up fluids or to inject, it is exposed to unsterile air.



  There was recently a study of diabetics who are in the habit of
injecting themselves THROUGH THEIR CLOTHING. Result: generally not a
problem. For IM and SQ injections of sterile product into non-immune
compromised people, most of the stuff we do with alcohol swabs is
voodoo.  It doesn't do much good on the skin.  And if it does any good
at the bottle, it's in preventing as much contamination of multidose
vials for the NEXT time, days later. Which is a good reason why
multidose vials should either not be used at all, or else be entirely
used on the same day.