Re: Stuck myself with the cat's lancet

On Sat, 21 Jun 2008 19:08:46 -0700 (PDT), hopitus posted:

>On Jun 21, 6:12 pm, Lynne <unmonitored.em...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> Paul M. Cook wrote:
>> > It's your own blood, where does the infection come from?  It is
perfectly
>> > safe to reuse lancets as long as they are your own.  I change mine
maybe
>> > once a week.  If you use a alcohol swab you can always clean it
before use.
>> > They do get dull after a while and you can always tell because you
can feel
>> > it.
>>
>> > Paul
>>
>> Very interesting.  I never would have thought this would be okay, but
>> after reading the old threads on asd, I may just start reusing mine as
>> well.  It wouldn't be about money, but about lessening my environmental
>> impact just a little bit.
>>
>> I'm new to all this so this may be a dumb question, but that's never
>> stopped me before: are there any recycling options for lancets?  It
>> always bugs me to toss them, and so many of them.
>
>Former hospital worker here can tell you that used needles, which is
>the nearest item to "lancets" (maybe they call them that because the
>general public has aversion to word "needles" LOL) I can come up with
>in inpatient hospital use, are classified as "sharps" and immediately
>after use placed in bright red disposal containers which along with
>non-needle items such as cotton, cloth, etc. with blood products or
>body fluids placed in specially marked containers for them, are
>disposed of complying with Federal specifications for such waste
>disposal.

Yes they do, and the reason for that is to protect people from
infections that they do not already have, or in other words, from
infections carried in the blood of others.

>Outside of hospitals, however, as I said being as I am not a frequent
>user of "lancets" for testing I admit that the only request which I
>see
>on the box and I'm ignorant of what else is suggested for home safe
>disposal is this: suggested placing in metal container such as empty
>soda or beer can and taping top opening shut. More frequent users
>may know more but I doubt recycling contaminated items is possible;
>the companies they pay to dispose in compliance actually from what
>I was told burn this type of waste.

I was diagnosed in August last year, and am probably working on my 5th
or 6th lancet.

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