Medicament-borne infections

Hazard to health 5.1 medicament-borne infection Type and degree of microbial... 

Detailed examination of reports in the literature of medicament-borne contamination reveals that the majority ofthese are anecdotal in nature, referring to a specific product and isolated incident. Little information is available, however, as to the overall risk of products becoming contaminated and causing patient infections when subsequently used. As with risk analysis in food microbiology (assessment of the hazards of... 

Factors determining the outcome of a medicament-borne infection... 

A patient s resistance is cmcial in determining the outcome of a medicament-borne infection. Hospital patients are more exposed and susceptible to infection than those treated in the general community. Neonates, the elderly, diabetics and patients traumatized by surgeiy or accident m have impaired defence mechanisms. People suffering fiom leukaemia and those treated with immunosuppressants are most vulnerable to infection there is a strong case for providing all medicines in a sterile form for these patients. 

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