About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

B-161475 1 (1974-03-14)

handle is hein.gao/gaobaaftb0001 and id is 1 raw text is: COMPTROLLR GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES WASHINGTON, D.C. ,0648 B-161475 MAR 14 1974 oqf q The H norab e 1111111111111~I 1111 111lI 11111 11111 1li The Honorable LM0961 The Secretary of Defense <+ Dear Mr. Secretary: During a survey of Department of Defense health programs, we noted that some militaxybla aLs were reusing disposable guidewires and catheters in vascular studies. The manufacturers and users are concerned about the reuse of these devices, because complete cleaning is virtually impos- sible and because reuse weakens them. Therefore, the possi- bility of infections, allergenic reactions, and product breakage are increased when catheters and guidewires are reused. Three of the four military hospitals we visited were reusing disposable guidewires and catheters. Officials of the three hospitals said that they were using these devices more than one time because of cost savings but that, from a medical standpoint, they.preferred to use them once. The fourth hospital did not reuse these disposable devices because of the possible adverse effects to the patient. USE OF CATHETERS AND GUIDEWIRES Both the radiology and cardiology departments of a hospital use catheters and guidewires in vascular studies. The guidewires are inserted through a blood vessel to the study site, such as in the aorta, heart, or brain. The catheter is placed over the wire which is used to guide the catheter to the study site. Once the catheter is in place, the guidewire is removed. The catheter is then filled with a contrast medium for use in active catheterization and film- ing. Guidewires in current use are stainless steel or stain- less steel with a teflon coating. Catheters are plastic tubes which may be constructed in combination with various types of material, such as stainless steel or teflon.

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most