Using sharps containers does not increase the risk of Clostridium difficile infection transmission, according to a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control.
Researchers sampled 197 reusable sharps containers for C. diff at processing facilities. The containers had high C. diff densities.
They also sampled 50 reusable and 50 disposable sharps containers in C. diff patient rooms in seven hospitals.
The study found C. diff spores on nine of the 197 reusable sharps containers prior to processing. The automated processing completely removed the spores. In the patient rooms, 8 percent of the reusable sharps containers and 16 percent of the disposable sharps containers had secondary infection counts of C. diff.
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