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My 88 year elderly mother who is a diabetic and cannot see to fill her syringes is now having me do it for her. She is having me reuse the syringes. Not only that, she does not put the little cap back on the needle after she uses it. Now aren't needles supposed to be sterile? I am confused.
Is it really ok to do this. She used to be a nurse's aide. I don't want to be the one held responsible if she geta an infection from this.
In Reply to: reusing diabetic syringes posted by annod [7200.2761] on August 23, 2007 at 21:16:45:
I have two kids with diabetes and we re-use syringes. We use each one twice. This is so we can put by an emergency supply, as we live far from anyplace that sells syringes.
Yes, it is questionable not to put the caps back on, but , if she can't see well, she can't put them back on without damaging the needles.
Perhaps you could set up a jar with a bit of alcohol in the bottom and a lid that isn't hard for her to open and keep it next to the filled syringes. She could drop the used syringes and caps in there until you are available to refill them.
My kids have never gotten an infection from reusing a syringe, but I wouldn't recommend many uses for each syringe, as they might tend to bend. Of course, we use the thinnest needles and shoot through denim. If she is using thicker needles and only shooting through flesh, she's less likely to have a problem with their bending.
Needles cost money- perhaps she can't afford a new supply. If you can, buy her some extras. Wal-mart's Reli-on brand is probably cheapest. In my state, no prescription is needed for insulin syringes, although some individual pharmacists require proof that you use insulin (take them the empty insulin box with her prescription label on it).
In Reply to: reusing diabetic syringes posted by annod [7200.2761] on August 23, 2007 at 21:16:45:
Annod,
I have reused my diabetic syringes (about one syringe/ reusble vial) for at least 20 years. The main reason I change them then is that they start to get dull and the printing on the syringe starts to fade.
HOWEVER, it IS important to keep the needle sterile and clean the top of the vial with alcohol each time.
I do that by filling the cap with alcohol before resetting the needle in the cap. Her not even covering the needle between times is NOT a good idea!
Does she clean the injection site before giving her injection?
Hope this helps.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: reusing diabetic syringes posted by ANN [1003.516] on August 24, 2007 at 07:31:24:
ANN, etc,
Where do you get the needles at Walmart? Out on the shelves or at the pharmacy counter? I went up and asked for them once and they said they didn't sell them, but it was a real young kid working that day.
(Assuming cat needles might be the same thing)
I can ck. on that later.
We were told (with the cat) they can be used twice, but I was rinsing with water. Interesting that you mention alcohol. I probably am supposed to be using that----just nobody told me or I missed it when they told me.
Barbara, Larry, and Cats
In Reply to: Re: reusing diabetic syringes (Cat) posted by Barbara, Larry, and Cats [6.1955] on August 25, 2007 at 14:51:05:
in the pharmacy, behind the counter. Ask for insulin syringes.
We don't actually use alcohol for shots or for blood sugar readings, I just suggested that to the poster because of the mom leaving the caps off.
Fingertips become much drier if you use alcohol, so we don't. Finding a place where the kid could lower his pants for a shot in the leg when we were out proved to be difficult, so we just took to shooting through the denim- no alcohol. Work's fine.
We don't clean needles between shots. Water would actually introduce bacteria.
We are careful to keep the two kids' needles separate.
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