What Is It?

Single-use equipment minimises the risks of cross-infection. Many medical devices are difficult to reprocess and render safe for use on another person. The manufacturer labels these devices as 'single-use,' and they cannot be reused in any way. 

A single-use device is used on an individual patient during a single procedure and then discarded. It is not intended to be reprocessed and used again, even on the same patient.

Serious incidents relating to the reuse of single-use devices have been reported. If reusing a single-use device, the operator has legal liability for the safe performance of the device.

Reuse can be unsafe because of the risk of

Cross-infection - inability to clean and decontaminate due to device design

Endotoxin reaction - resulting from excessive bacterial breakdown products, which cannot be adequately removed by cleaning

Chemical burns or sensitisation - resulting from residues from chemical decontamination agents on materials that can absorb/adsorb chemicals

How To Identify Single-use Items

Items for single use are indicated by the term 'single-use' and represented by the international symbol

Examples of single-use items include

Dressings and dressing packs

Syringes and needles

Irrigation fluids

Gloves

Surgical masks

Aprons

Single-use items must be discarded at the point of use as soon as possible after use.

As with all sterile items, the integrity of the packaging must be checked before use. If the packaging is damaged in any way, it can no longer be considered sterile.

Single Resident Use

Items labelled 'single resident use' may be used more than once on the same resident, per the manufacturer's instructions.