Your friend Joe recently visited the doctor for steroid injections into his knee to reduce swelling due to a previous knee injury.Within a couple of days, he had an infection caused by Pseudomonas, a very pathogenic and drug resistant bacterium.Luckily, Joe went to the doctor immediately and received antibiotics.The doctor tells him that the same problem has occurred to many other people across the United States.Predict the most likely cause of this situation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fact that many people across the United States have experienced the same problem suggests that the issue is not with the drug itself, but rather with the injection technique. Pseudomonas is a bacteria that is commonly found on the skin, so if proper aseptic technique is not followed, it can easily be introduced into the injection site and cause an infection. Additionally, since Joe developed an infection within a couple of days, it is less likely that the contaminated drug came from the production plant and more likely that it was introduced during the injection process. Re-using needles (option D) would also be a concern for infection, but it is less likely to be the cause across several different states.

Your Friend Joe Recently Visited the Doctor for Steroid Injections