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Insulin administration: delivery device safety

Paul Lindsell, managing director, MindMetre Research looks at the latest evidence on the safety of delivery devices used for the administration of insulin. He highlights some concerning findings around insulin pooling and misdosage incidents, following the use of passive devices

To protect the safety of healthcare professionals administering insulin, safety-engineered devices with built-in mechanisms to protect from sharps injury are mandatory under the EU Directive on Sharps Safety. These devices fall into two main categories: active devices that must be manually activated by healthcare professionals (HCPs) and passive devices with an automatic safety mechanism that is activated after use. MindMetre Research was recently made aware of anecdotal evidence of insulin misdosage or non-delivery with the use of passive injection devices. As a result, we decided to carry out an enquiry into these phenomena in NHS Trusts in England and Wales, under the terms of the United Kingdom’s Freedom of Information (FOI) Act

Background

The EU Directive on Sharps Safety is mandatory legislation that was adopted in 2010 and transposed into national law by all members by 2013.1 As one of its measures for protecting workers, the legislation stipulates: “eliminating the unnecessary use of sharps by implementing changes in practice and on the basis of the results of the risk assessment, providing medical devices incorporating safety-engineered protection mechanisms”. The risk assessment is described as a determination of exposure, covering “all situations where there is injury, blood or other potentially infectious material”. Critically, the Directive does not provide any advice on the type of device to be used.

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Upcoming Events

The Operating Theatres Show 2023

Kia Oval, London
28th September 2023

Diversity, inclusion and equality in surgery conference

RCS England Headquarters, London, WC2A 3PE
30th September 2023

UK Respiratory Infections Seminar

Mary Ward House, London
4th October 2023

Ecolab's Public Health & Sustainability Day

Old Trafford, Manchester United
10th October 2023

CSC Autumn Study Day 2023

LMI conference centre, Liverpool
16th October 2023

Prevent, Protect, Provide: Minimising infections for patients and the NHS

The Clermont Hotel, London, WC2N 5HX
30th October 2023

Access the latest issue of Clinical Services Journal on your mobile device together with an archive of back issues.

Download the FREE Clinical Services Journal app from your device's App store

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