Several patients are to receive the same medication. Which vial choice is preferred?

1. Whenever possible, single-dose vials are preferred over multiple-dose vials. 2. That preference is strongest when the medication will be given to more than one patient, which is the case here. 3. A multiple-dose vial is entered again and again, so one lapse in technique can carry to every patient who follows. 4. Using a fresh needle does not remove that risk, because the vial contents can already be contaminated. 5. Keeping a vial at the bedside moves it closer to the used equipment rather than away from it. 6. An intact label says what is in the vial and nothing about whether the contents are still sterile. _Source: CDC Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings (2007), Part III, section III.A.1.b. Safe injection practices_