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Needles again

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elizajayne

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Many thanks for the link to the BD Safe Clip, I use the BD Micro-FineTM+ Pen Needles They come in a plastic cover & when used you screw the cover back over the needle - this leaves a sharp point exposed, but inside the cover.
I assume the Safe Clip is used to cut the needle off when it is still attached to the pen, then the cover is screwed back on - the other sharp point that is slightly exposed will only have been into the drug so I assume it won't be of a hazzard to anyone.

My lancets have a plastic tab that you take off and push back on when used - if I cut the end off with the Safe Clip, would I still be able to push the plastic tab on.

Elizajayne
 
I think the idea behind the safe-clip is so that you can safely snip off the exposed part of the needle when you are not able to dispose of the whole needle into a sharps bin, for example. As you say, I don't think the bit that goes into the insulin is considered a danger. So, I'd snip off the needle if out and about, but not bother if at home as I just put the whole thing into my sharps bin.

As for lancets, I'm not sure if the safe-clip can be used for lancets as they tend to be thicker. I use the finger-pricker that came with my accu chek meter and the lancets are not exposed, but in little drums of 6. When finihsed, I just put the used drum in the sharps bin.
 
If the lancets have caps to cover points, there's not much point clipping off with Safe Clip - Safe Clip is not designed to snip off lancet points.

The end of the needle that goes into the insulin cartiridge is unlikely to come into contact with any blood borne infection, but if anyone handled it and did suffer a puncture wound, they would have to be treated in the same way as any other suspect puncture wound - hence why needles must be disposed of in a rigid container.

Only thing I'd add, is that while I snip off my own needles, I wouldn't do so for needles that have been inside anyone else (even my own child, if I had one) - too much warning about resheathing injuries while nursing in London in mid 1980s, just as AIDS made itself known.
 
Thank you very much for everyone's help.
I am still learning my way & want to do everything right.
My GP surgery are lovely, but not much help, & I've had to find out by myself.
I had a 5min session with the nurse at the hospitalon how to inject, and have had a number of appointments with the consultants.
I have had to work things out from the Diabetic website (which is great) and by asking those that have experience.
Elizajayne
 
Hi Elizajayne,

To dispose of my old needles all I do is put the cap back on them and put them in a jam jar. The same goes for my lancets; the only difference is that I don't bother to put the old cover back onto them. The jam jar is then sealed up and stuck in the bin. I haven't had a sharps bin for absolute ages. Wouldn't know how to dispose of them.

Tom H
 
Hi Tom,

I dont mean to be critical- but - does that mean that your needles end up in landfill? Also the glass jar could be recycled? In Wiltshire were we live they are really hot on recycling - so it would go against the grain to dispose of these things if there is a more efficient way of doing it. We were told by the hospital that on no account dispose of needles in anything other than a sharps bin - its really easy when they are full we take them to the doctors and they have them collected. I dont mean to offend anyone but i think we should all think of recycling. Bev
 
True but this is how I've been doing things for thirteen years. One glass jar lasts me about ten to fourteen days. Never really been offered sharps bins nor advised on how to get rid of them. No offence taken at all. I'm for the most part open to suggestions.

Tom H
 
Hi Tom!

Perhaps when you see your diabetic team next time you could ask if they can add it to your prescription? Some councils arrange a pick up service for used bins - but if your lucky your doctor may take it when its full! Bev
 
Tom Hreben said:
True but this is how I've been doing things for thirteen years. One glass jar lasts me about ten to fourteen days. Never really been offered sharps bins nor advised on how to get rid of them. No offence taken at all. I'm for the most part open to suggestions.

Tom H
Click to expand...
Hi Tom
Have just found this link on the Main site - I think it will point us in the right direction.
http://www.diabetes.org.uk/en/Guide...ges/Disposal_of_sharps_-_needles_and_lancets/

Elizajayne
 
Hi Elizajayne,

Thanks for that information, some interesting reading material.

Tom H
 
I agree with Bev, I wouldn't use a glass jar to hold used sharps, as I'd prefer glass to be recycled or, ven better, reused - and clear glass as in jam jars is the most valuble, when placed in a clear glass only bin. We prefer to save our jam jars for making jams, pickled beetroot etc.

Also, a glass jar isn't too secure. I prefer to clip off needles with a Safe-Clip & replace lancet caps, and use plastic bottles and tubs with childproof tops to hold them eg bleach bottles, multivitamin or tablet tubs, which I get from relatives and friends. When sealed with duct tape, these tubs can easily go into landfill. As I only fill a 10cm tall vitamin tub about once every couple of months, due to reusing needles & lancets, that's not much waste. And it takes less energy to place in landfill than to incinerate, especially as there is no additional transport involved.

I'm fairly confident that I have chosen the most environmentally friendly solution, taking into account all aspects. I guess the environmental aspects of diabetes could have been my MSc Environmental Technology (Health & the Environment) thesis - but it was more interesting to investigate chemical incidents in Northern Ireland!
 
Hi Copepod
How do you reuse your needles and lancets - my nurse told me not too, but they are very expensive?
Elizajayne
 
Hi Copepod,

I am wondering why you re-use needles and lancets? We were told never to re-use them as they can break or be contaminated?
Also whilst it is admirable that you dont use glass jars for disposal - your vitamin jars etc have to be taken to the landfill sites and therefore require some sort of transport? I would recommend using the sharps bins as i am told they have less impact environmentally than any other method of disposal. Bev x
 
Yes, tubs do have to be moved somehow, but my tubs go in the regular fortnightly collection of non-recyclable waste. In many areas, sharps bins are collected by special vans, making special journeys. In our area, only plastic bottles, marked 1, 2 or 3 / PET, HDPE or PVC ( see http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/plastic.html) can be recycled.

I reckon as long as I keep my needles and lancets "clean not sterile" ie not touched by anything other than my own tissue, then it's OK. When travelling in hot / humid climates, in UK summers, where body washing is rare eg camping etc, then I change needles and lancets more often. However, I have never had any problems with skin infections in over 12 years, and I must have saved quite a few pounds of NHS expediture, plus environmental impact. Even though I don't pay for prescriptions, I don't want to cost the NHS more than necessary. I'm not sure what type of plastic sharps bins are made of, but they are incinerated, along with contents, not recycled.
 
bev said:
Hi Copepod,

I am wondering why you re-use needles and lancets? We were told never to re-use them as they can break or be contaminated?
Also whilst it is admirable that you dont use glass jars for disposal - your vitamin jars etc have to be taken to the landfill sites and therefore require some sort of transport? I would recommend using the sharps bins as i am told they have less impact environmentally than any other method of disposal. Bev x
Click to expand...

the advice would usually be not to reuse as once a needle has been used once it won't be as sharp and is more likely to be painful and potentially cause irritation etc. I do however know that a lot of diabetics reuse either for environmental reasons or convenience. I never reuse needles (probably done it twice in my life when I've been caught out) myself but I am very bad at changing the lancet on my finger pricker, changing it is a far rarer occurance than I would probably admit to.....
 
Tom Hreben

i am the same as you, i havent had a sharps bin for going on 5 years since i moved and wouldnt knwo where to start in terms of getting them to collect them or anything!! glad im not the only weirdo who saves all her sharps, personally i put them in a orange squash bottle and then give it to my mate who works in boots!!

i have just been given one of these clipper things from hospital but are these reusable? can you empty out the sharps after a while and start using it again or would i need to get another one when its full?

ta

xxxx
 
Hellbell84,

I'm just as in the dark as you. I don't know if the clipper things are reuseable seeing as I have never had one of them. Best to ask your GP or endocrinologist for another sharps bin after you've filled one up I presume.

Tom H
 
Safe Clip answers

Details of Safe Clip at http://www.bddiabetes.co.uk/cgi-bin...DC+Documents/C6FEBF8F030E229300256E3500606972 As the first paragraph says, each clip holds 1500 needles. End of second paragraph says "Once you have clipped off your needle put the used syringe or pen needle hub in a rigid sealable cintainer such as a sharps collector. Follow the same procedure with your BD Safe ClipTM once full." (I think they mean container, not cintainer!) I've only needed about 5 in my entire diabetes career of 12 years - and GP has been happy to prescribe. I reckon they are particularly important when expeditioning or even just backpacking, when you don't want to carry a sharps bin, but clipping off needles makes them safe, and a 35mm film cannister makes a good temporary sharps container until you return to "civilisation" which for me, has sometimes been several weeks.
 
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