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Injections

  • 19-07-2007 12:54am
    #1
    Carsinian Thau
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,054 ✭✭✭


    A friend of mine was recently diagnosed as a diabetic and has started insulin directions. However, whenever he injects he wipes the patch with an alcohol swab beforehand. I asked him about this and he says that the doctor told him that he'd become infected if he didn't do it. I've been a diabetic for eleven years and I have never used one of those alcohol wipes. I'm tempted to tell him that his doctor is just being overly cautious and that he should calm down but I suddenly have my doubts.
    Is it really so important to use these alcohol wipes?


Comments

  • #2
    tbh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15,914 ✭✭✭✭tbh


    I was also told not to use them, as they make the skin hard. I think you can certainly tell your friend this, but don't, like, insist that they don't use the swabs :D


  • #3
    robinph
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,144 Mod ✭✭✭✭robinph


    I was told something many many moons ago about cleaning the area to prevent infections blah blah blah, but they clearly thought it was a waste of time themselves and were just saying it so that they had ticked all the relacent boxes before sending me on my way. Your freind will probably get bored of the whole alcohol swabing thing soon enough themselves anyway.


  • #4
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,972 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    I have never done it (since 1978!), as said the skin will harden due to the alcohol.

    Tell you friend to vary the injection sites (rotate around the upper thigh and between them).

    Mike.


  • #5
    Johnny Meagher
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 64 ✭✭Johnny Meagher


    Nothing to add save that I don't do it myself. Suck my finger after pricking for testing too! Doctor is probably doing a CYA job. Well one way or another in the same way as always changing the lancet in the pricker every time and only using a needle once, your friend will find a happy medium. In one longitudinal study conducted over fifteen years for a single use and approx 22,000 injections it was found that the non-use alcohol swabs did not significantly increase the risk of infection, in other words I never got one, did you?


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