Introduced in the 1990s, needleless connectors have become an essential component of 21st century medical care, as they have removed the inherent needle stick injury risk associated with older needle-based connectors.1 Used on both central and peripheral vascular access devices, they allow for the safer administration of medication, fluid and blood.2 However, needleless connectors carry a significantly increased risk of bloodstream infection. If the injection site has not been properly ...

Needleless connectors are commonly used with continuous infusions, but is this best practice? Back in the not-so-good ol' days when we knew less about bloodstream infections, we'd quickly wipe the rubber cap with an alcohol wipe before connecting a needle to the secondary line and inserting this into the primary line via the rubber cap. We then applied paper tape to keep it in place for the duration of the medication administration. Needlestick injuries were common! Needleless conne...