how often should you change the lancet in your finger pricker

amgrundy

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I was told to change them every time you do a BG reading mainly for a true reading as blood from previous reading could give a misread reading. I don't know only been told this off my Diabetic nurse.:nurse:
 

TorqPenderloin

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I was told to change them every time you do a BG reading mainly for a true reading as blood from previous reading could give a misread reading. I don't know only been told this off my Diabetic nurse.:nurse:
I change mine every time also.

It just seems like one less reason to worry: false readings, infection, etc.

Plus, I don't want them to go to waste

ImageUploadedByDCUK Forum1455373130.742301.jpg
 

zand

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Well since I have to pay for mine I just use the 'Ouch' rule. As a T2 not on insulin a false reading isn't quite such a problem to me.
 

Celsus

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Well since I have to pay for mine I just use the 'Ouch' rule. As a T2 not on insulin a false reading isn't quite such a problem to me.
'False readings due to prior pricks with same puncher-needle is all b******s, so no worries.

I also find that your bg and health as a T2 is as important as my bg and health as a T1, so no reason to downgrade your relevance as a human being versus others. We all deserved the best from life! ;o)
 

zand

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'False readings due to prior pricks with same puncher-needle is all b******s, so no worries.

I also find that your bg and health as a T2 is as important as my bg and health as a T1, so no reason to downgrade your relevance as a human being versus others. We all deserved the best from life! ;o)
Well I've been using the same needle for months and just did a reading with it. 1 hour after eating lunch 6.6. Then I changed the needle - still 6.6, so actually I think it might be all b******s! False reading due to out of date test strips or not washing hands, I can understand. As a T2 who has never been advised to test by any HCP's then I can make my own decisions regarding needles. Thanks to you though I don't have to think about it again for a couple of months. :)
 

zand

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I also find that your bg and health as a T2 is as important as my bg and health as a T1, so no reason to downgrade your relevance as a human being versus others. We all deserved the best from life! ;o)

Actually...thanks for saying that. :) It makes a welcome change from being told "You brought it on yourself...." Have a nice day. :)
 

BooJewels

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I've been reminded by my DN several times to use a new one each time, but I split the difference and use one per day, changing it after my pre-breakfast reading. Which means each one gets used half a dozen or so times. Even when I bought my own, this was only just over a quid per month for the lancets.
 
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4ratbags

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Even though I have a pack of 100 in the cupboard I only change them every couple of.months as I have never had any issues with infection ect, if I didnt have to buy them myself I might change them.more often but I have a lifetime of testing in front of me so I might as well make them last.
 

copey399

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Seems so daft to me that they will give me 200 Lancets a month but only 50 test strips :( Wish it was the other way round.

I used to change mine every time but just got lazy so frequently use the same one a few times.
 

petdell

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When I go on holiday I always take loads of extra lancets needles etc. And always come back with the same one in the pricker.
Change mine as soon as I get a pain . Might be a day might be week could be a month,
 
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Liam1955

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I use a new lancet every time I test, because that's what I was told by the Hospital Diabetic Clinic and use a new needle everytime for my Insulin Pen. But, then it's your personal choice.:)
 
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PenfoldAPD

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I'm new to this, type 2. I've been using the same one for a few days - can't say it hurts much - I'm buying my own, the strips are pricey enough. Interesting read - several people seem to say it makes no difference on the reading?
 

Celsus

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Just digged out one of the many fully controlled clinical studies demonstrating that multiple injections with the same needle does not cause increased infection risk or other complications:
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/16/1/402.2.extract
And mind you, a finger prick lancet goes only into the very upper most layer of your skin (1-3mm). While here in this study it was about the insulin injection needle, which (depending on your personal preference) goes typically between 9 to 25mm in.

Rational doctors/nurses agrees to this with no problem. But old habits and urban legends die hard despite clear clinical evidence.
And as said, the supplier industry wants to sell us as much as possible, so no interest to make this common knowledge or support such practice. And for most, it unfortunately also means a huge waste of tax payer money...
 
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hooha

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excuse my terminology i call it a finger pricker but im not sure whats the correct word is for it, i have been testing for years and recently upgraded myself to a nice bayers contour usb to keep track of my records etc, i noticed when reading the quick start quide that it says you should replace the lancet needle every time you test, with my old meter i only replaced it every 5 times because this is how i have done it since i was diagnosed as a boy and no one has ever told me they were single use.
got me thinking i have probably been risking infection all these years from reusing them?
I use the same lancet for weeks at a time but am very very careful to carry out as clean an operation as possible, always putting out a clean kitchen paper towel, washing hands well and wiping fingers with alcohol, and as for the lancet ? I wipe it with alcohol and keep it wrapped in an alcohol soaked tissue in a sealed tube , in the fridge and only test once a day [ early morning ] . Have had no infection problem.
 
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srm18

Member
Messages
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Type of diabetes
Type 2
Size was very good at changing the Lancet needle to start with, but after years of testing I either change it when it gets blunt or when opening a new container of test strips (whichever happens first)
My dad had a microscope and I used to look at the Lancet needle and never saw blood on it - maybe because it's so fast or because I often have to squeeze my finger.I did the same when I started insulin, so I only change the pen needle when I change to a new pen.
Never had any problems or altered readings, but each to their own