Syringes are very simple to learn how to use. Unfortunately, this sometimes makes people forget that they are actually medical devices and that they need to be treated with the utmost care. Most of this care, oddly enough, involves throwing them away. Syringes that are used for injections need to be treated in a specific way. The syringes that are used for less critical purposes—such as feeding food to patients that cannot chew—do not usually require this same level of handling safety, but they still need to be handled sensibly.

Disposing of Syringes

One of the biggest risks that syringe pose is infection. Passing along infections is a very easy thing to do and it’s important to remember that, outside of an operating room, there are really no conditions that are truly sterile. Bacteria can get on any surface or into any device, even when the device is being used properly. This is why the CDC and other medical professionals will tell you that you should never reuse a syringe that is used for injections.

Some individuals, diabetics in particular, have medications that come in multi-dose vials. This makes it tempting to reuse the same syringe over and over with a different needle, as you’re just using the same medication, anyway. This is never safe. Whenever you use a syringe, it should be considered contaminated and hazardous. It’s impossible to prevent some fluid from the body from intermingling with the substance being injected during the procedure and this is why you must always throw out a syringe after it has been used.

Tossing Them

When people that need to give themselves injections are at home, they always have a sharps container that prevents their used equipment from posing a hazard to other individuals. There are, however, occasions when you will want to make sure that you have an auxiliary sharps container available. If you’re travelling, for instance, you need to make sure that you have a container with you. It’s a good idea to keep a few empties around in your car and other areas just in case you need to dispose of a used sharp when you don’t expect it.

Remember to never share a syringe with someone else and never to reuse an injection syringe for another purpose. Some people use a syringe when they’re applying glues for modeling projects and so forth, but one used for an injection is not safe for this.