Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus Among Persons Undergoing Blood Glucose Monitoring

[pickledpepperRN]

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5409a2.htm

March 11, 2005

Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus Among Persons Undergoing Blood Glucose Monitoring in Long-Term--Care Facilities --- Mississippi, North Carolina, and Los Angeles County, California, 2003--2004

Regular monitoring of blood glucose levels is an important component of routine diabetes care.

Capillary blood is typically sampled with the use of a fingerstick device and tested with a portable glucometer. Because of outbreaks of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections associated with glucose monitoring, CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have recommended since 1990 that fingerstick devices be restricted to individual use .

This report describes three recent outbreaks of HBV infection among residents in long-term--care (LTC) facilities that were attributed to shared devices and other breaks in infection-control practices related to blood glucose monitoring. Findings from these investigations and previous reports suggest that recommendations concerning standard precautions and the reuse of fingerstick devices have not been adhered to or enforced consistently in LTC settings.

The findings underscore the need for education, training, adherence to standard precautions, and specific infection-control recommendations targeting diabetes-care procedures in LTC settings ...

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

hmmmmmmmmmmm.... what about the devices used in hospitals? They're not individual, either. Would like to know more about this.

Thanx ! :)

[stidget99]

hmmmmmmmmmmm.... what about the devices used in hospitals? They're not individual, either. Would like to know more about this.

Thanx ! :)

The lancets used in hospitals that I've worked at have always been single use.

[KarafromPhilly]

How disgusting--are these LTCs reusing insulin needles too?

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Ah the wearing the same pair of gloves while testing each patient's blood sugar approach being utilized here...:angryfire

[Antikigirl, ASN, RN]

We use gloves, and each individual patient must have their OWN CBG machine. We have their CBG machine and test strips/lancets in our med room and take them out on a cart as we do our rounds. If in the case of a PRN CBG on someone we have safety lancets one use only. All syringes are also safety ones and one time use only and under the supervision of an RN.

Every weekend, we test all the CBG machines and clean them. We also keep all equipment in sealedindividual containers to also avoid contamination.

Seems pretty cut and dry for my facility, CBG testing is a risk for transmission of Blood Borne Paths (although very very small risk)...so just use some common sense things to lower the risk. Use universal precautions, never re-use, and keep things clean...