The medical device is intended for use once, on an individual patient for a single procedure, and then should be discarded. It should not be reprocessed or reused on another patient.

Is It the same as Single- patient use?

Single –use devices differ than Single-patient use devices as the second means the medical device may be used for more than one episode of use on one patient only; the device may undergo some form of reprocessing between each use.

Single use devices include:

• Surgical Saw Blades
• Surgical Drills
• Laparoscopy Scissors

Reuse can be unsafe because of risk of:

• Cross- infection: Inability to clean and decontaminate due to design.
• Patient injury: Device failure from reprocessing or reuse because of fatigue, material alteration and embrittlement.
• Chemical burns or Sensitisation: Residues from chemical decontamination agents on materials that can absorb/adsorb chemicals.
• Endotoxin reaction: Excessive bacterial breakdown products, which cannot be adequately removed by cleaning.

Source: www.mhra.gov.uk