Effective Techniques for Opening Glass Ampules

Ensure Hand Hygiene. Thoroughly wash and sanitize your hands using soap and hand sanitizer prior to handling the ampule. If available, wear powder-free latex gloves.

If the ampule lacks a score marking, lightly score it. Prior to opening, you may need to score the ampule by making a light incision to weaken the glass. Look for a painted ring around the neck; if absent, gently file around the neck to create a score.

• Ampules typically come with accompanying files.

Sanitize the ampule using an alcohol swab. Take a fresh alcohol swab and delicately wipe down the entire surface of the ampule. Allow 1-2 minutes for it to air dry if it feels damp or slippery post-cleaning.

Ensure all liquid gathers at the base of the ampule. Hold the ampule upright, ensuring all liquid remains below the neck where it will be broken. If any liquid sits above the neck, tap the ampule gently until it settles at the bottom.

Shield your hands with gauze while gripping the ampule. Wrap gauze around both halves of the ampule before grasping it. This offers a secure grip on the glass and safeguards your fingers in case of breakage. Hold the top half with your dominant hand and the bottom half with your non-dominant hand.

• Your dominant hand's thumb should rest on the pressure point atop the ampule or slightly above where it curves towards the neck.

Secure the bottom half of the ampule and snap the top half towards you. Maintain stability with your non-dominant hand while swiftly bending the top half towards you to initiate the breakage away from your body. Keep your dominant hand's thumb on the pressure point as you pull the top half towards yourself.

• Ensure the breakage occurs at a safe distance from other materials to prevent glass from scattering.

If the ampule remains intact, rotate it and try again. Should the ampule fail to break upon initial attempt, rotate it slightly and retry, ensuring a firm grip through the gauze.

Secure the top half of the ampule in tissue and dispose of it properly. Wrap the empty top portion of the ampule in paper or thick tissue before discarding it in the trash. Even if there are no visible sharp edges, exercising caution is recommended.

• If a sharps container is accessible, consider disposing of the unwrapped ampule there instead.
• If the ampule contains biohazardous materials, refrain from discarding it in regular trash. Place it in a labeled biohazardous waste container and adhere to your local disposal regulations.

Connect a filter needle to a syringe. Even in the event of a clean break, using a filter needle is advisable to prevent any glass particles from being drawn out with the solution. Insert the needle into the syringe with the needle guard intact, and twist it gently to the right until it locks into place. Ensure it is securely attached before proceeding.

Insert the syringe needle into the ampule without touching the edges. With caution to avoid contact with the broken edges, insert the needle as deeply as possible. If the needle doesn’t reach the liquid, you may tilt the ampule until the liquid becomes accessible.

Withdraw the solution while ensuring the needle remains submerged. Maintain the needle tip below the liquid surface to prevent air bubble formation, slowly retracting the syringe plunger to draw the liquid into the barrel. Tilt the ampule if necessary to extract all the liquid.

Wrap the emptied ampule in tissue before disposal. Once the syringe is removed without altering the plunger position, securely wrap the empty ampule in paper or thick tissue before discarding it. This precaution prevents potential injuries from sharp edges or breakage in the trash.

If feasible, dispose of the fractured ampule directly into a sharps container. Exercise caution when handling the broken pieces.

• Do not dispose of biohazardous material-containing ampules in regular trash. Use a labeled biohazardous waste container and adhere to local disposal protocols.

Eradicate any air bubbles from the syringe. Hold the syringe vertically with the needle pointing upwards. Gently tap the syringe barrel to move any air bubbles to the top. Apply slight pressure on the plunger to expel the air through the needle without displacing the solution. Proceed slowly to ensure no solution is pushed out. Once only solution remains between the plunger and the needle tip, all air bubbles have been removed.

Transport the solution to its intended destination. The solution is now ready for administration or transfer to another container. Remember to replace the needle before administering the solution or transferring it to a new container.

Dispose of the syringe and needle in a sharps container. Handle the needle with care and place the used syringe in a labeled sharps container. Do not dispose of this container in regular trash; refer to your city’s guidelines for proper sharps disposal, which may involve special drop-off sites or pick-up arrangements.

• For breaking the ampule:
  • Soap & water
  • Hand sanitizer (optional)
  • Powder-free latex gloves (optional)
  • Ampule
  • Ampule cutter or fine file (if ampule is not scored)
  • Alcohol swab
  • Gauze
  • Biohazard disposal container (if ampule contents are biohazardous)

• For withdrawing liquid from ampule:
  • Syringe
  • Filter needle
  • Tissue or paper for disposing of broken ampule
  • Sharps container
  • Biohazard disposal container (if ampule contents are biohazardous)

• If you have a spare clean syringe, consider using its empty barrel to break the ampule top instead of your hand, but this method is applicable only for certain syringe sizes.
• If you frequently break ampules, investing in an ampule breaker might be worthwhile. Various companies like Health Care Logistics, Med Lab Supply, and Thermo Fisher Scientific offer reusable ampule breakers priced between $10 and $20.

• Prior to breaking the ampule, ensure you are aware of the solution's name, expiration date, and dosage if applicable.
• In case of ampule breakage causing hand cuts, do not dispose of the broken pieces in regular trash. Properly discard them in a labeled biohazardous waste container.
• Do not utilize the contents of the ampule if it fails to break cleanly or contains glass fragments.