When y'all give shots, do you clean the injection site with alcohol before injecting?
I don't think I have since I was first diagnosed...but I shower every day so I'm pretty clean =P
never, im a bad non sanitary diabetic tho lol
Same here. Haven't done the alcohol swap since I was diagnosed. And yes I shower everyday.
Haha, ok then :) I've heard you can get infections, but I figure as long as I shower everyday and stuff, I should be ok!
[quote user="Evamarie"]
never, im a bad non sanitary diabetic tho lol
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haha that just doesn't sound like a good thing... butttt i usually only swab finger pricks so i guess i have no room to talk...
I guess it does lol i dont use alcohol, i reuse needles and lancets all the time ... i havent died from any infections ..yet..... but I do shower everyday!
[quote user="Evamarie"]
I guess it does lol i dont use alcohol, i reuse needles and lancets all the time ... i havent died from any infections ..yet..... but I do shower everyday!
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I reuse lancets, I'm not really as much worried about dirty needles as I am about the tips of the needles getting dull. Have you ever seen one of those magnified images of the tip of a needle after one use? Haha, freaks me out... not going to lie!
I used to clean the zone... but now I don't do it. I change the zone of the pump before i take a shower, so I clean the zone with soap and water.
[quote user="Mikaela"]
Haha, ok then :) I've heard you can get infections, but I figure as long as I shower everyday and stuff, I should be ok!
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eh well you can..but in 16years i have never had an infection. i change my lancets when they are so dull it takes more than 4 pokes to get blood drawn..i usually go 6months before i change it honestly and i rarely wash my hands before hand unless i've been doing something like cleaning the bathroom or gardening without gloves.
I never use alcohol either.
As far as lancets, I rarely change mine. Here's an old thread about this topic http://juvenation.org/forums/p/557/3610.aspx#3610 you have to scroll up to top of page to read original post, enjoy.
when our son was diagnosed last year, our team told us it isn't neccessary to use alcohol and that it would make it sting more. they just said to be sure to clean his finger with soap and water or even just a wet cloth before a finger poke.
my husband however, was diagnosed 23 yrs ago and was taught to use alcohol swabs and always uses them. he also keeps his insulin in the fridge and when our son was diagnosed we were told that wasn't necessary either once we open an insulin (but that it is only good for a month after).
Yes, absolutely, every time.
(Pump site now)
i will very rarely wash my hands before doing a blood test, unless i know i have something on them or get an absurd reading. i work at a hospital so i'm washing my hands about every 3 minutes anyway, so it's not a concern to me.
i use an alcohol swab on my pump sites now, but only because it seems to help them stick better. i never used to. i'm a fairly clean person (i'll admit, i have my moments) :o)
No need to clean the injection site unless it is really dirty. Alcohol will irritate the injection site.
Infusion sites should be clean and sterile since the infusion set is being put in he skin and left open until the set is removed.
You skin is your best protector and unless you leave it open to the world it should not be bothered by injections or lancets.
I had 35+ years of injections w/o alcohol with out any problems. I used to use a syringe until the numbers wore off and the lancets until the tip was bent.
I am the kind of person who can get infection for sneezing too hard so I use alcohol before shots, pump changes, finger sticks, and I always change my lancet. I think it just really depends on the person and what their body can handle.
I've never used alcohol to clean his finger for sticks. I was told when he was diagnosed to just use a tissue and I usually just use my shirt. He's got the cleanest 3-year-old hands anyway. :)
I have always used alcohol on injection sites until I recently got a tip from his nurse. When it got cold down here she told me I could put the needle through his clothes instead of pulling up the sleeves or pants. I do it sometimes, but Brandan usually pulls the clothes up for me and insists I put it directly on his skin. Now I figure I might as well skip the alcohol since the skin wasn't exposed. I'll still use alcohol most of the time though.
We were told we didnt have to use alcohol at home. Sometimes we do and sometimes we dont. It depends on when and where I am injecting her. Her finger pokes never. Actually we were told not to use alcohol on them. Just to wash if they are dirty or she was just eating with her hands or if we get a weird reading to wash and recheck.
Never on shots, never on finger pricks. Rarely even wash my hands unless, like someone said I know I've been handling something weird. Reuse needles and lancets, 35 years - Always have, always will and never have had an issue.
i did for like the 1st two weeks then i got lazy and didn't lol