What is the correct method to dispose of sharps after use?

• A. Recap needles and place in regular trash.
• B. Immediately place sharps in an approved sharps container without recapping or bending; never reuse or hand off loose.
• C. Hand sharps to a colleague to dispose.
• D. Rinse and reuse sharps after sterilizing.

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is safety in sharps handling: used needles and other sharp devices must be disposed of immediately into an approved sharps container, without recapping or bending, and never reused or handed to someone else. This minimizes the risk of needlestick injuries and exposure to bloodborne pathogens for anyone who might come into contact with the instrument after use. Sharps containers are specifically designed to be puncture-resistant, leak-proof, and labeled, and they should be used close to the point of use so nothing contaminated is left loose or handled improperly.

Recapping and placing sharps in regular trash is dangerous because it creates a real chance of injury to waste workers and others who handle trash. Handing sharps to a colleague transfers the hazard rather than containing it, which is not acceptable. Rinsing and reusing sharps after sterilizing does not make them safe to reuse and goes against infection control and safety standards; sharps are intended for single use only.