A prefilled injection device for outreach tetanus immunization by Bolivian traditional birth attendants Vacunación antitetánica extrainstitucional por parteras empíricas bolivianas mediante dispositivos desechables de una sola dosis

• Main Authors: Rosario Quiroga, Percy Halkyer, Fernando Gil, Carib Nelson, Debra Kristensen
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish; Portuguese
• Published: Pan American Health Organization 1998
• Subjects: Medicine; R; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic; Sola; Warnes
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/2cb54126f01141469a64ec9e5706c17c

This study evaluated the performance, acceptability, and appropriateness of a new, single-use, prefilled injection device called UniJect™ for an outreach immunization application.6 Between April and June 1995, UniJect devices were used by 36 traditional birth attendants to administer tetanus toxoid injections to 2 240 pregnant women during routine, antenatal home visits in the Northern, Ichilos, and Warnes Districts of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Because tetanus toxoid is relatively heat stable, the traditional birth attendants were able to keep the tetanus toxoid-filled UniJect devices in their homes for up to one month without refrigeration. The devices were stored, transported, and disposed of in an outreach carrier designed to reduce the risks of improper handling and disposal. Data were collected from injection recipients, traditional birth attendants, and supervisors via observation, questionnaires, and post-study interviews. The performance of the UniJect device and its acceptability among all groups was very high. The traditional birth attendants used UniJect properly and safely; there were no reports or observations of device misuse, reuse, or needle-stick. Advantages cited included the fact that the device required no assembly, offered assured sterility, and reduced vaccine wastage sometimes associated with multi-dose vials. The ability to store and transport the vaccine-filled devices without ice also greatly simplified logistics. En este estudio se evaluaron el rendimiento, la aceptabilidad y la conveniencia de la inmunización antitetánica extrainstitucional con un nuevo dispositivo hipodérmico de una sola dosis, el UniJect®. De abril a junio de 1995, el dispositivo UniJect aprestado de fábrica con una sola dosis de toxoide tetánico fue utilizado por 36 parteras tradicionales para vacunar a 2 240 mujeres embarazadas durante las visitas domiciliarias prenatales de rutina en los distritos Norte, Ichilos y Warnes de Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Ya que el toxoide tetánico es termoestable, las parteras pudieron mantener ...