In today’s post, I am going to switch the discussion to focus on reusing syringes.  I think there is a different argument to reusing syringes compared to lancets.  Over the 6 years or so that I was on insulin shots, I did see a few broken needles on my syringes.  Also, syringes go deeper into the issue whereas lancets just pierce the surface.  Don’t get me wrong, they both need to be sterile and reusing them may compromise their cleanliness.  The following is what some credible sources say.

Here is what the American Diabetes Association says about reusing syringes:

Many people safely reuse their insulin syringes. However, if you are ill, have open wounds on your hands, or have poor resistance to infection, you should not risk insulin syringe reuse. Syringe makers will not guarantee the sterility of syringes that are reused… [source]

Here is some information from BD:

Needle reuse can cause increased pain and tissue damage at the point of injection.  It can also directly impact the accuracy of the dosage of insulin and therefore affect your glycaemic control.

Injection pain
To make injections virtually painless, insulin needles are finely ground and lubricated.  Repeated use leads to tip damage and loss of lubricant which increases pain and discomfort during the injection.

Microtrauna
Reuse can bend the needle tip into the shape of a hook. When removing the reused needle after injection, the hook lacerates tissue, causing microtrauma.  There is increasing evidence that this microtrauma is involved in the formation of lumpy nodules also known as “lipodystrophy“.

Needle bending and breakage
Reuse of needles can result in microscopic bending and breakage of the tip.  This initial microscopic tip damage can result in increased force to puncture the skin and lead to accidental bending of the needle as a whole.  The micro- and macroscopic damage are both implicated in the complete breakage of needle.

Needle clogging
Insulin remaining in the needle between injections may crystallise and create a blockage, making it impossible to deliver the insulin during the next injection.

Dosage accuracy
Keeping a needle on your insulin pen between injections leaves an open passage to the insulin, allowing insulin to leak out of the cartridge and/or air to be drawn into the cartridge.

Insulin leakage
Mixed insulin (e.g. 30/70) contains two types of insulin (regular/rapid acting insulin and intermediate acting insulin).  The regular insulin is more fluid and leaks more readily from the open passage created by leaving the needle attached. This leakage changes the relative concentration of the insulin mixture.  Injecting the incorrect mixture will negatively impact your glycaemic control.

Air entry
The air bubbles that enter into the cartridge through the open passage lengthen the time required to inject the whole of your insulin dose.  If you do not correspondingly lengthen your injection time, you will not receive your full dose of insulin which will negatively impact your glycaemic control.

Sterility
Single use products are guaranteed sterile for one use only. If you intend to reuse a needle, you should be aware that it is no longer sterile. [source]

This is what I found on Diabetes Digest:

There have been dramatic improvements in the design of syringes. Not only are the needles attached but they are thinner, sharper and lubricated for ease in entering the skin. Although insulin syringes are designed to be used once and then discarded, many people reuse syringes. Some use one syringe per day even if they take three or four injections. Others use the same syringe until the numbers on the syringe disappear. [source]

The graphic that I seem to find everywhere during my research is the series of images that show the tip of a needle before use, after one use, after 3 uses and after 6 uses.  The tip definitely appears to be bent even after one use.  I guess it’s just a matter of degree, because the images are magnified exponentially.

What do you think about reusing syringes?