Not using an Alcohol swab before injections

[newgrad1988]

Question...

Today while giving vaccines to a 6 month old, I had to apply a new clean needle to one of the vaccines I was giving due to being contaminated by touching the patients skin before the actual injection was given. I definitely remember cleaning off the skin with an alcohol swab prior to the first vaccine, but I can't seem to remember if I re-cleaned the area. I do remember the skin looking a bit red and splotchy before giving the second injection, however. I'm freaking out some in thinking I could've given this baby an infection! What are some of your thoughts on this matter? I know I tend to worry about small things all the time, but this is causing me a bit of anxiety. Thank you in advance for your thoughts!

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

You are over thinking this way too much.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Did you give both vaccines in the same site? I highly doubt you gave the baby an infection.

[Ayvah, RN]

So you cleaned the skin, then had a clean needle touch the skin, then you put a new needle on and gave the injection?

You're just fine, don't give it a second thought! :)

[mhy12784]

Im no expert on infections

But ive never heard of someone instantly getting an infection

[Dranger]

If that gives you anxiety, you won't want to work with central lines or ports in a hospital where a patient could have multiple arterial lines or tubes coming out of every body area.

The kid is fine, don't worry.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

I've had type 1 diabetes for 10 years. I was on 6+ daily injections. I never used an alcohol wipe. I never got an infection.

[TriciaJ, RN]

I vaguely remember a study done years ago that supposedly showed alcohol swabs are of minimal value. Apparently, alcohol doesn't kill that many bugs. I haven't seen any recent studies, but we're still swabbing injection sites.

When I was about to have surgery, the anesthesiologist hooked up my antibiotic without swabbing the port. I questioned him and his answer was that since it was an antibiotic, it would kill anything that got introduced. He then pushed Versed into another port with no swab, glibly telling me that the antibiotic was in a distal port and would kill anything in its path. Somehow I survived.

[Geslina, BSN, RN]

TriciaJ said:

I vaguely remember a study done years ago that supposedly showed alcohol swabs are of minimal value. Apparently, alcohol doesn't kill that many bugs. I haven't seen any recent studies, but we're still swabbing injection sites.

When I was about to have surgery, the anesthesiologist hooked up my antibiotic without swabbing the port. I questioned him and his answer was that since it was an antibiotic, it would kill anything that got introduced. He then pushed Versed into another port with no swab, glibly telling me that the antibiotic was in a distal port and would kill anything in its path. Somehow I survived.

haha, would love to do this in front of my nurse manager or DON and say the same thing this guy did. And he is probably right. Heck, imagine all the alcohol swabs that could be saved, and how much less used pads and foil wrappers in the landfills. Hmm.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Baby's skin was red and splotchy from the rubbing and alcohol itself.

Infection is the least of the concerns.

Review the CDC guidelines for pediatric immunizations and carry on!

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Actually, the alcohol does not kill anything without a 15- 30 second drying time and then repeating the process. ( Whose got time for that . That's when any organisms present are killed.

Wowza an anesthesiologist is THAT misinformed? No wonder hospital acquired infection rates continue to skyrocket. I would have told Dr. Death to get the h*ll away from me.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Been there,done that said:

Wowza an anesthesiologist is THAT misinformed? No wonder hospital acquired infection rates continue to skyrocket. I would have told Dr. Death to get the h*ll away from me.

I'm sure he's not that misinformed, merely lazy or stuck in a bad habit rut and figured he could bull the lowly nurse when he got caught.