Injection Safety in the United States: Miles to Go?

Injections are an essential component of modern medicine. Pascal is credited with inventing the first modern syringe in 1650, although Roman and Greek literature alludes to syringe-like devices used both for medical procedures and for nonmedical purposes such as changing the pitch of musical instruments.1 Francis Rynd, an Irish physician, invented the hollow metal needle and used it to administer the first recorded subcutaneous injections in 1844. Today, needles and syringes are used for prevention (vaccines), diagnosis (contrast material, radioactive isotopes, and blood tests), and treatment (antibiotics, chemotherapy, insulin, sedatives, pain medications, and fluids) in various health care settings.

Source: Mayo Clinic Proceedings - January 31, 2020 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Priya Sampathkumar Tags: Editorial Source Type: research