PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technician (PTCE)Patient Safety and Quality AssuranceHard
A pharmacy technician is tasked with preparing an intravenous (IV) admixture in a laminar airflow workbench (LAFW). During the preparation, the technician accidentally touches the tip of the syringe to the outside of the medication vial. What is the MOST appropriate action the technician should take?
- AComplete the preparation, but label it with a 'potential contamination' warning.
- BDiscard the contaminated syringe and start over with new supplies.
- CWipe the syringe tip with an alcohol swab and continue the preparation.
- DAsk a pharmacist to visually inspect the syringe and determine if it's safe to use.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Discard the contaminated syringe and start over with new supplies.
Touching the syringe tip to a non-sterile surface, even briefly, compromises its sterility. To prevent potential patient harm from contamination, the contaminated syringe and any associated components must be immediately discarded, and the preparation restarted with new, sterile supplies.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Labeling a potentially contaminated product for administration is unsafe and unacceptable.
- C. Wiping with alcohol does not guarantee sterility after contact with a non-sterile surface.
- D. Visual inspection cannot confirm sterility; once compromised, it must be discarded.
Aseptic Technique Breach Protocol
When an aseptic field or sterile component is compromised, such as by touching a non-sterile surface, the compromised item must be immediately discarded, and the sterile preparation process restarted with new, sterile materials to prevent contamination.
- Sterility is absolute; 'almost sterile' is not acceptable.
- Compromised items must be discarded.
- Patient safety is paramount in sterile compounding.
Memory trick: Contaminated? Discard and Restart, No Second Guessing.