Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jessica Apple on October 10, 2011 at 3:28am

For a long time I kept alcohol wipes in my glucometer kit and often used them before testing. With the alcohol prep pad recall some months ago, I threw out the ones I had and haven't bought new ones.

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Permalink Reply by MyBustedPancreas on October 10, 2011 at 6:27am

Nope, have not done this in many, many years. And so far, nothing bad has happened to me :-)

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Permalink Reply by Doris D on October 10, 2011 at 8:18am

Ugh nope I'm like u I haven't done that in years.

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Permalink Reply by Marie on October 10, 2011 at 1:07pm

For each set change I'm prescribed a little individual dose bottls of 2% chorhexidine,(which I understand is more effective than alcohol + 2 pieces of sterile gauze to swab the top of the vial and the site. As it's prescribed and I don't have to pay for it I use it.
I was also shown how to wash my hands very thoroughly but that doesn't always happen.

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on October 10, 2011 at 2:14pm

It occurred to me that I've started lugging swabs along in my meter on longer runs as I invariably slosh Gatorade, GU, jelly bean residue, etc. on my fingers to lead to 300+ readings without something to clean it off.

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Permalink Reply by kphil06 on October 10, 2011 at 2:52pm

I never swab my bottles of insulin. The only time I use swabs is when I insert a new infusion set (and even then I wouldn't freak out if I couldn't swab, as long as my skin was clean).

It's different if it's just you touching your stuff... I always wash my hands or use purell before injecting/changing sets. In the hospital, I always swab and would freak out if I ever saw someone coming at me with a needle that had drawn up insulin without swabbing.

As far as refridgeration, I haven't had any problems with insulin going bad outside of the fridge. Maybe came close after a few days at the beach with my pump, but those high numbers may have also been due to beer/chips consumption...

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on October 10, 2011 at 3:32pm

ixnay on the eerbay and ipschay. It was the cooked insulin!!

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Permalink Reply by Sue59 on October 10, 2011 at 5:00pm

At first I thought you meant ebay! Then I realized it was the pig latin.

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Permalink Reply by Anna Banana on October 10, 2011 at 5:23pm

Just like acidrock23 my insulin stays in the box in the fridge in the butter dish holder. When I get it out to use it i keep it out on a tall dresser. The only person who is likely to touch it is my dad if he helps me draw up the insulin but he doesnt touch the top he touches the bottle. I used to use alcohol wipes to wipe the bottle off before i drew up the insulin and when i was going to give my self a shot or change my site. But over the years i figured it would be easier to change out my site after a shower. And since im in middle school we dont have recess so its not like i will be dirty.

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Permalink Reply by Mike S. on October 12, 2011 at 9:41am

Always use alcohol swabs. Always use a new lancet after every use. Bacteria, mold spores, and viruses are everywhere. Why gamble with infection? D makes it tough for all - your immune system is already compromised. In the refrigerator, all those nasties are in there unseen. Just leave a leftover in there for a time and then you will see the nasties feast until you can see them. Ugh! •

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Permalink Reply by FatCatAnna on October 12, 2011 at 12:25pm

Yes, every time when I'm on the pump, refilling my cartridge (I reuse it a few times - I'm bad), then I use the swab afterwards to prepare my infusion site. Now, when I was on MDI (multiple doseage injections) using a bottle - no - never used alchol. The same applies for when I use pen needles (I take pump breaks periodically - last year was for 6 months - no change in A1C at all .

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Permalink Reply by Sue59 on October 12, 2011 at 5:51pm

Anna, I haven't taken a pump break since going on the pump in Dec. 07, but I have been curious about how people go about it with figuring the amount of basal insulin to use, and if control is more difficult, aside from the A1C. I guess the pump has pretty much spoiled me.

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