To reduce the risk of accidental infection, aerosol generation, or spills, the use of needles should be avoided when alternative methods are available. The following procedures are recommended for the use of hypodermic needle and syringes with bio-hazardous material:
- Use disposable needles and needle locking syringes. Replace glass syringes with plastic disposable syringes whenever possible.
- Be sure that the needle is locked securely into the barrel before performing any operations.
- Use the syringe and needle in a bio-safety cabinet and avoid quick and unnecessary movements while holding the syringe.
- Fill the syringe carefully to minimize air bubbles and frothing of the inoculum.
- Expel excess air, liquid, and bubbles from a syringe vertically into cotton pledget moistened with an appropriate disinfectant.
- When removing a syringe and needle from a bottle sealed with a rubber stopper, wrap the needle and stopper in a cotton pledge moistened with an appropriate disinfectant. A sterile pledget/sterile cotton dressing without disinfectant may be used in instances when disinfectant may contaminate sensitive experimental material.
- Immediately discard used pledget/sterile cotton dressing into a bio-hazard bag.
- Do not use the syringe to forcefully expel a stream of infectious fluid into an open vial for the purpose of mixing.
- Dispose of entire unit (syringe and needle) into sharps container.Do no bend, shear, recap or otherwise manipulate the needle.