Intramuscular injections and aseptic wipes

A coroner has ruled that a patient died because their skin was not cleaned before a routine injection. This project will put two Primary Care nurses to work examining the evidence on whether swabbing skin with antiseptic wipes before an intramuscular injection actually prevents infection. The problem is that clinical guidelines are inconsistent. Some recommend cleaning the skin, others do not, and the evidence behind either practice is thin. A systematic review on the topic exists, but its findings have not been critically assessed for real-world use. The nurses will appraise that review, judge how its conclusions apply to everyday clinical practice, and identify gaps that need further study. If the review shows that skin preparation makes no measurable difference, the NHS could drop a time-consuming step from millions of injections each year, saving nursing time and reducing waste from single-use wipes. If it confirms that cleaning is essential, the project will reinforce a practice that may prevent further deaths. The nurses will also write a commentary for an academic journal, giving other clinicians a clear, evidence-based takeaway they can act on immediately.