Safety of medical containers.

SIR,-Medical containers should be stable, relatively unbreakable, and easy to use as well as proof against leakage and contamination of the outside by the contents. Zuckermann and Taylor noted the risk of hepatitis attending removal of a wet plug from a blood container.' A new hazard that has recently crept into the laboratory is the bronchoscopy suction collector. The photograph shows one recently received in our laboratory. It was impossible to remove the snap-on lid without producing an aerosol and contaminating the fingers. British Standard (BS 5213: 1975) Specification for Medical Specimcn Containers for Microbiology-has existed for two years but, though most laboratories now insist on containers with screw caps, containers complying with the British Standard have not yet become generally available, possibly because manufacturers anticipate that hospital administrators would not be willing to pay for them while cheaper but less safe alternatives are available. S W B NEWSOM C E D TAYLOR