Re-using lancets

I thought I would post this since some might wonder what is the real skinny
on reusing lancets..... A doctor's response -

How often do you recommend changing lancets? What about reusing syringes?

Daniel Einhorn, MD, FACP, FACE

Q: I change my lancet once a month. How often do you recommend changing
lancets?

A: In the early days of blood glucose selfmonitoring, pricking the finger to
get a "hanging drop" of blood often hurt and left a scar. This was because
the procedure created a laceration, rather than a puncture. We've come a
long way since then, with improved spring-loaded devices, strips that
require less blood and lancets that are sharper and usually coated with a
lubricant. Lancets are now much more comfortable to use and less likely to
cause a scar.

Today's lancets are so good that they are commonly reused. The reasons to
reuse lancets are obvious: It's cheaper and quicker not to have to change
them each time; it's easier not to carry extra lancets around; and, for some
users, the lancets actually seem more comfortable after being "broken in."

Since the lancet goes into the subcutaneous space and is not being used
intravenously, and since blood is flowing out of the body, sterility is
generally not an issue. The rate of infections and injury from lancets is
extremely low.

Many people, however, are not able to reuse lancets because they feel
discomfort or they experience scarring if the lancet is not in optimal
condition. Once a lancet has been used, its surface is rougher, the
lubricant wears off and the point is duller. Any handling of the lancet,
such as cleaning with alcohol, tends to worsen it. For these individuals,
using a new lancet each time is well worthwhile.





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