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Weird question

purplesunsets

purplesunsets

Well-Known Member
Messages
58
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Insulin
Is it possible to tell if the needle tip broke after injecting? I feel something sharp in the area. I Or I'm being paranoid I keep hearing about that happening. Picture attached. 4mm needle.
 

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Have you used this needle more than once? There is a risk if you use these needles, which are supposed to be single use, too many times that the very fine tip at the end of the needle can break off, but that is unlikely with single use.

If you have, then you'd better go and see an appropriate person, like a gp surgery nurse, and expect a finger wagging experience, as part of the fixing process.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/insulin/reusing-insulin-pen-needles.html

If you haven't used it more than once and still think part of the fine tip has broken off, then you probably still need to go and see an appropriate person, and as well as getting that fixed, have a discussion about the quality of the needles being prescribed.
 
The broken needles show up on X-ray. We had one patient who had broken about half a dozen 15 mm needles off in abdomen and they showed up nicely on X-ray; more importantly, they did not seem to cause any bother. More annoyingly, the X-ray films (this was about 20 years ago) kept disappearing because they were so interesting.
But, as above; you can just measure the length of the needle (but they generally seemed to break where they join the hub), and use only once for the reason to avoid breaks
best wishes
PS - good photo - looks like the needle is intact since looks correct length and has the bevel at the tip, as it should
 
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@purplesunsets is the photo of the needle after you think you may have broke it?
It does not look broken to me.

Before @SimonCrox provided evidence otherwise, I was going to agree with @porl69: in my experience needles bend rather than break. I think you would need abs of steel to break a needle when you inject.
 
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porl69 said:
Highly unlikely.
I have dropped my pen on numerous occasions and it will bend but not snap. Have never heard of 1 snapping. Just got a my pen out and tried to snap the needle. It just bent :)
Click to expand...
Lol love the spirit.

My needle did bend too once when injecting, but as discussed before, im a dirtbag, I change my needles after a few injections only. (Tho Im trying to keep in mind to change my needles after every use.)
 
I know not wherefore of which you speak, but I do know it is not a weird question I would not want a little bit of metal wandering about under my skin either.
 
The patient with the broken needles was 20 years ago or more, when patients had to pay for their pen needles, and so used them until they hurt, and then some sharpened them up and used them some more. Diabetes UK campaigned successfully then to get pen needles on prescription. Before that, they had successfully campaigned to get the plastic syringes on prescription, before which folk either paid and made them last a while or used the horrible glass syringes and thick needles. There is often scope for improvement, but things have improved over the last 35 years (thankfully). :)
 
helensaramay said:
@purplesunsets is the photo of the needle after you think you may have broke it?
It does not look broken to me.

Before @SimonCrox provided evidence otherwise, I was going to agree with @porl69: in my experience needles bend rather than break. I think you would need abs of steel to break a needle when you inject.
Click to expand...

Yes that's the photo after. Ok so I ran out of needles and that was a second use till I got my new supply the next day. Hence my worry.
 
Follow up question has anyone trouble pulling out a needle it just at the end? It's almost all the way out but the tip got stuck in the skin? That maybe the little part broke off in the skin.
 
purplesunsets said:
Is it possible to tell if the needle tip broke after injecting? I feel something sharp in the area. I Or I'm being paranoid I keep hearing about that happening. Picture attached. 4mm needle.
Click to expand...

Might be a hair pushed back into the skin. They,re quite prickly.
 
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