2nd Saskatchewan health region reused syringes: officials
Last Updated: Friday, October 31, 2008 | 5:32 PM CT
CBC News
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A Saskatchewan health region says it has been reusing syringes, the second time in two days such a concern has been raised in the province.
On Friday afternoon, the Prince Albert Parkland health region said after a review, it found that a program it operates for mental health outpatients has been reusing needles and syringes to inject medication into intravenous bags.
However, the method incorporates an air pocket where the fluid drips into the tube, and that would tend to reduce the risk of infection, the health region said.
"There is very little risk that the syringe would be exposed to a patient's body fluids," the region said in a news release.
However, the region said from now on it will stop reusing syringes.
The region did a review of its practices after a precautionary warning from the provincial Health Ministry on Thursday.
That warning was issued following the discovery that syringes had been reused in IV lines in a hospital in Lloydminster, Sask.
Health officials in Alberta and Saskatchewan said a doctor who practises in Vermilion and Lloydminster was using the same syringe to administer drugs to multiple patients.
There no confirmed case of someone becoming ill as a result of a reused medical syringe, but thousands of people in Alberta have been contacted about the practice.
Health officials say an investigation is underway to see how many people may have been treated with reused syringes. National meetings are planned to figure out whether the situation is more widespread.
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