In
medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...
, a needleless connector connects to the end of vascular catheters and enable
catheter
In medicine, a catheter (/ˈkæθətər/) is a thin tubing (material), tube made from medical grade materials serving a broad range of functions. Catheters are medical devices that can be inserted in the body to treat diseases or perform a surgi ...
access for infusion and aspiration. Needleless connectors (also known as NC's) were developed to reduce needlestick injuries, which occurs when the skin is accidentally punctured by a used needle. Needlestick injuries can be very serious and potentially expose a healthcare professional to bloodborne infectious diseases such as
HIV/AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
,
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is an infectious disease caused by the '' Hepatitis B virus'' (HBV) that affects the liver; it is a type of viral hepatitis. It can cause both acute and chronic infection.
Many people have no symptoms during an initial infection. ...
and
Hepatitis C.
The needless connector should provide safe access to the catheter without the use of needles and enable the following:
* Minimize catheter occlusion risk.
* Allow for easy and effective decontamination between each use to prohibit microbial entry e.g. via a flat surface which is flush with the housing.
Before utilizing a needleless connector, it is important to properly disinfect the device to help prevent central line–associated bloodstream infection.
Various designs for the needless connector and its components have been developed over the years. This includes a patent developed by Karl Leinsing for "needleless connector" which relates generally to connectors of the type used in the handling and administration of
parenteral fluids, and more particularly, to a valve mechanism incorporated within such connector for~~enabling a fluid interconnection to be made therewith without the use of a sharp cannula.
[{{cite web , title=Needleless connector , url=https://patents.google.com/patent/CA2175021C/en , website=Patents.Google , access-date=1 April 2021 , language=en , date=25 April 1996]
See also
*
Medical device
A medical device is any device intended to be used for medical purposes. Significant potential for hazards are inherent when using a device for medical purposes and thus medical devices must be proved safe and effective with reasonable assura ...
*
French catheter scale
The French scale, French gauge or Charrière system is commonly used to measure the size of a catheter. It is most often abbreviated as Fr, but can often be seen abbreviated as Fg, FR or F. It may also be abbreviated as CH or Ch (for Charrière, i ...
*
Gastrostomy
Gastrostomy is the creation of an artificial external opening into the stomach for nutritional support or gastric decompression.
Typically this would include an incision in the patient's epigastrium as part of a formal operation. It can be perfor ...
*
G-Tube
*
Jejunostomy
Jejunostomy is the surgical creation of an opening (stoma) through the skin at the front of the abdomen and the wall of the jejunum (part of the small intestine). It can be performed either endoscopically, or with open surgery.
A jejunostomy may ...
*
Stent
In medicine, a stent is a metal or plastic tube inserted into the lumen of an anatomic vessel or duct to keep the passageway open, and stenting is the placement of a stent. A wide variety of stents are used for different purposes, from expandab ...
References