Why do they sterilize the needles for lethal injections?

Answer 1

Because the medical professional performing the lethal injection must practice universal precautions and sterile technique, as anything else would be deemed unacceptable practice for a health care worker.

It doesn't seem to make sense, but we are trained to always do the job 100%, even in situations like this one where it seems to be pointless.

Answer 2

Well... all needles come in sterile packaging. No one (even IV drug abusers) is going to keep used needles around because of the infection risks (hepatitis, HIV, etc.).

Using a contaminated needle additionally would place the individual delivering the injection at risk of infection (inadvertent needle sticks do occur).

Answer 3

Funny. The answer is that it's just how we give injections. Granted it will matter little if you make a patient bacteremic if he dies from the poisons you're injecting in minutes, but when we inject, we use sterile technique, all the time.

Answer 4

OK
all needles come from the manufacture that way
they don't make special needles just for LETHAL INJECTIONS
nor for animals just different sizes

Answer 5

actually yes. there is a law that before ANY injection is given, the area to be stuck must be sterilized

Answer 6

Very good question. I would assume so that if for some very unlikely chance the injection does not kill, then the injection site does not become infected.

Answer 7

Because the law says that all needles have to be sterilized.......

Answer 8

Just to be consistant maybe. Infections can still happen after the body is dead so maybe they are trying to avoid there being a big obvious infected hole where the dead dude was stuck.

Answer 9

You would not want the poor person to get an arm infection. He has enough problems.

Answer 10

Great question. Why are there braile instructions on the drive-through at the bank?