Total Ampoule Solution - Just Snap, Clip and Check it!

The Challenges

The Solution

Ampoule Injuries

•26% of needlestick and sharps injuries (NSIs) were due to opening an ampoule or broken ampoules1.
•Most frequently reported circumstances of sharps injuries were opening of ampoules and vials2.
•54% of incidents to anaesthesia personnel were caused by broken ampoules3.
•The incidence of hand laceration as a result of opening glass ampoules is significant, occurring in approximately 6% of anaesthetic sessions. The prevalence of old hand injury was 25 in 97 anaesthetic sessions (26%)4.

No contact with broken glass

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Ampoule/Syringe labelling error

•85% or more anaesthetic participants had experienced at least one drug error or 'near miss', syringe swaps and misidentification of label (ampoule swaps) were common contributing factors5,6.
•Jensen et al.7 recommended a) label should be carefully read before a drug is drawn up or injected, b) legibility and contents of labels on ampoules should be optimised according to agreed standards including font size, colour and information, and c) syringes should be labeled, always or almost always.
 
How to ensure font size and colour with hand written label?
•A review of 896 reports from Australian Incident Monitoring Study database8 showed 37% of drug errors were due to syringe swap errors and 41% were due to ampoule labelling error.

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Download PDF flyer

No manual hand-written labelling

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Double Check... and be sure

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References

1. Smith D.R., Smyth W. Leggat P.A. and Wang, R.S. (2005). "Needlestick and sharps injuries among nursing students." Journal of Advanced Nursing 51(5), Pg 449-455.

2. Guo Y.L, Shiao J., Chuang Y.C and Huang K.Y. (1999). "Needlestick and sharps injuries among health-care workers in Taiwan." Epidemio Infect 122, 259-265.

3. Pulnitiporn, A., W. Chau-in, et al. (2005). "The Thai Anesthesia Incidents Study (THAI Study) of anesthesia personnel hazard." J Med Assoc Thai 88 Suppl 7: S141-4.

4. Parker M. R. J. (1995). "The use of protective gloves, the incidence of ampoule injury and the prevalence of hand laceration amongst anaesthetic personnel." Anaesthesia 50: 726-729

5. Gordon P.C., Llewellyn R.L., James M.F.F. (2006). "Drug Administration errors by South African anaesthetists – a survey." South African Medical Journal Vol. 96 No. 7.

6. Orser B.A., Chen R.J. and Yee D.A. (2001). "Medication errors in anesthetic practice: a survey of 786 practitioners." Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia 48: 139-146.

7. Jensen L.S., Merry A.F., Webster C.S., Weller J. and Larsson L. (2004). "Evidence-based strategies for preventing drug administration errors during anaesthesia." Anaesthesia 59: 493-504.

8. Abeysekera A., Bergman I.J., Kluger M.T. and Short T.G. (2005). "Drug error in Anaesthetic practice: a review of 896 reports from the Australian Incident Monitoring Study database." Anaesthesia 60: 220-7.

 

Also:
Snapit Ampoule Opener § Check Clip