How often should Glucometer lancet be changed?

Question

Should the lancet, used for drawing blood, be changed every time we measure blood sugar at home with a glucometer?

Answer 1

I guess some common sense is in order here. The purpose of the lancet is to pierce the skin w/o causing infection. As long as the lancet is sterile and sharp, there should be no problem. If you use a fresh one every time, you can be assured of the lancet being sterile and sharp. If you use a used one, you cannot be assured of it being sterile and sharp. That being said, I see no reason at all why one couldn't use a lancet more than once... as long as it is cleaned and sterilized after each use. Given that some of you are getting several uses out of them, it's fairly safe to assume that lancets stay reasonably sharp for several piercings. Therefore, you people that insist that you should only use them once, are assuming that the rest of us don't have any common sense. Perhaps it is you who don't have any practical sense.

Answer 2

Found this when I wanted to get some advice. Q: I change my lancet once a month. How often do you recommend changing lancets?

A: In the early days of blood glucose self-monitoring, 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.

My patients find out pretty quickly if they can reuse their lancets. I’m supportive of any solutions that work and that are safe, especially if it leads to increased self-monitoring of blood glucose levels, which is necessary for them to make informed decisions about insulin doses, meal planning and exercise scheduling.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

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Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How often should Glucometer lancet be changed?
Should the lancet, used for drawing blood, be changed every time we measure blood sugar at home with a glucometer?

Answer 6

The chance of infection has been mentioned. However, 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.But 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. So it really is a personal choice as to whether you reuse or not.

Answer 7

It's always a breath of fresh air to see someone with some common sense who isn't afraid to tell it like it is.

Bravo, Liberty Bell.

I see no reason why a lancet couldn't be used over and over as long as it is cleaned each time, either. The darned things are surgical grade stainless steel for Pete's sake. They ought to last at least two dozen times before they ever start to lose their edge. And stainless steel isn't hard to sterilize, either.

It's pretty clear why manufacturers are recommending using them only once. Even a dork can figure that one out. Doctors probably recommend using them only once because of liability issues and lack of confidence in their patient's ability to properly clean and sterilize the lancet. I'm not sure why the two answerers are so adamant about using lancets only once... unless they are conditioned to think that way or believe other folks can't think on their own.

This isn't complicated and is basically a non issue as long as people use a little prudence. (what ever happened to that word?)

Answer 8

What Is Lancet

Answer 9

I only change mine when it makes a big hole insuring a sore finger!! That is about every 2 weeks.

The companies that make these things, the doctors, the nurses, the CDEs all tell us to change them with every test, but I don't feel the need to do that.

If my daughters and granddaughters want to borrow my meter and lancet, they know they need to change the lancet for each of them and then a new one for me.

Answer 10

If you want the answer the manufactures recommend, I will tell you every time. If you want to hear what most people really do, I will tell you "when it hurts". I used to change it daily. Now I change the lancet when it hurts. In 21 years, I have never had an infection or a problem.