Animal User Requirement #2
Title: The Reuse of Needles in Research Animals
Purpose: For reasons of convenience and cost savings, syringes and needles used for injection of research animals are sometimes reused. Reuse of injection needles puts research animals at risk of disease from needle sharing and can cause unnecessary pain and distress from injections given with a dull needle.
Direction:
In most instances the reuse of needles on multiple animals is not permitted. It can lead to dulling of the needle, increasing the discomfort associated with injections, and can lead to disease transmission and/or contamination of vials of material to be injected.
In some cases, RARC veterinary or IACUC approval may be granted for needle reuse for subcutaneous injections in non-USDA-covered species (e.g., laboratory mice and rats, agriculture animals).
No disposable needle reuse is permitted in USDA-covered species (e.g., nonhuman primates, dogs, cats, hamsters, rabbits, etc.)
Examples of Justification for Needle Reuse:
- Severely limited available volume of test article.
- Needles specifically designed for reuse (with appropriate sterilization).
General Consideration for Needle Reuse with RARC Veterinary or IACUC Approval:
- Needle reuse is allowed only in non-USDA-covered species
- Needle reuse is allowed for subcutaneous (SC) injection only
- A needle used for intravenous (IV) or intraperitoneal (IP) injection may not be used on more than one animal.
- A needle may not be used on more than five animals and must be replaced before this point if there is evidence that the needle is becoming dull (e.g., difficult to insert through skin).
- A needle should only be reused on animals from the same cage/group to avoid transmission of infectious diseases from one cage to the next.
- A needle and syringe used to treat an animal known to be sick may not be reused in any other animal.
- A needle, once used on an animal, may not be reintroduced into the vial of material being injected to avoid the possibility of significant bacterial contamination at subsequent use.
Revised: 6/11/2025
Author: R. Stoffel, J. Welter, C. Patten Jr.
