spuitkamers

Spuitkamers is the Dutch term for dedicated rooms in healthcare settings where syringes are prepared and injections are administered under controlled conditions. The room is designed to support aseptic handling of injectable medications and to separate needle-based work from general patient care areas. In Dutch healthcare, spuitkamers have historically been part of hospitals, long-term care facilities, and some community pharmacies, allowing staff to draw up medications, label doses, and dispose of sharps in a controlled environment.

The word spuitkamer derives from spuit, meaning syringe, and kamer, meaning room. The concept emerged with growing attention to infection control and safe drug preparation. Historically, many institutions maintained separate spuitkamers to minimize contamination and to standardize practices around sterile compounding and injection administration. Over time, the specific use of the term has varied by facility and region; in some settings, the functions of a spuitkamer have been integrated into centralized pharmacy departments or dedicated sterile-compounding rooms, and the term may be less common in modern practice.

Safety and regulation surrounding spuitkamers focus on aseptic technique, proper handling of syringes and vials, correct labeling, and safe disposal of sharps. Guidelines typically address environmental controls, staff training, hand hygiene, and waste management to reduce infection risks and occupational injuries. In contemporary health systems, the principles behind spuitkamers—sterile preparation and safe injection practices—are maintained in various forms, including pharmacist-led compounding rooms and nurse-managed medication preparation areas.