I got my first fill last week. Once I was finished getting filled, the doctor put the fill needle back in its packaging, and gave it to me to bring back next time.

This was odd to me. Please let me know if any of you have heard of this before. The packaging says it's a single-use needle. I didn't notice if the doctor sanitized the needle before he gave it back to me.

I had brought the needle with me that first time because they gave it to me (unopened then, of course) when I was discharged from surgery. I thought that, in itself, was strange enough.

I go for another fill next week. Let me know what you all think. Thank you very much.

As a person who has gone through several bouts of MRSA (aka necrotizing flesh eating bacteria), including a bout of being hospitalized in quarantine for 4 days while they were wondering if my dominant arm was going to need to surgery with possible risk of amputation....

Give me a new needle for every fill. Infections are no joke.

I will be interested to see the outcome of this situation...

As a person who has gone through several bouts of MRSA (aka necrotizing flesh eating bacteria), including a bout of being hospitalized in quarantine for 4 days while they were wondering if my dominant arm was going to need to surgery with possible risk of amputation....

Give me a new needle for every fill. Infections are no joke.

I will be interested to see the outcome of this situation...

Wow! yeah! I would say new needle everytime in this situation...

I personally, do not think this is as strange as everyone else. The "biohazard" of a needle is the tissue that the needle is inserted into. That is why sharing needles is "bad". Sticking the needle into the same tissue will not cause any problems. If the area is cleaned properly and never touches anything but your tissue, then there should be no concern.

I am a recovering cancer patient. I have an eight inch scar on my back from surgery where the tumor and 4 layers of margins were removed. I had to undergo a series of "trigger point" injections to "deaden" the nerve endings that were growing into the scar tissue. I was stuck over 50 times with the same needle. Should they have used 50 needles? That seems funny. I really don't see he problem.

When you're having a procedure such as you're describing, the entire area should have been prepared with an anti-infective such as betadine and yes, the same needle is re-used as a standard.

What we're talking about is having a fill, taking the needle home then coming back to the doctor's office with the needle that has traveled to and from and picked up any host of organisms due to the fact that it has had body Fluid on it (it's now an optimum reproductive place) then reusing it. This would be like having the above procedure you described, coming back a month later and having the doctor use the same needle he used a month (or more) ago.

I've heard of re-use of insulin needles within your own home and on one patient. I wouldn't recommend it, especially since the cost of them is low. But the reuse of a fill needle....I wouldn't do it. It puts your skin, your muscle, your port, your tubing and your band at risk for growth of any number of organisms. And with the increase of antibiotic resistant bacterias, I just can't recommend it.

I was just thinking about this thread the other day and wondering what they did---did it get reported, find a new Dr., go on with the old needle----time to read up!!!

Kat

When you're having a procedure such as you're describing, the entire area should have been prepared with an anti-infective such as betadine and yes, the same needle is re-used as a standard.

What we're talking about is having a fill, taking the needle home then coming back to the doctor's office with the needle that has traveled to and from and picked up any host of organisms due to the fact that it has had body Fluid on it (it's now an optimum reproductive place) then reusing it. This would be like having the above procedure you described, coming back a month later and having the doctor use the same needle he used a month (or more) ago.

I've heard of re-use of insulin needles within your own home and on one patient. I wouldn't recommend it, especially since the cost of them is low. But the reuse of a fill needle....I wouldn't do it. It puts your skin, your muscle, your port, your tubing and your band at risk for growth of any number of organisms. And with the increase of antibiotic resistant bacterias, I just can't recommend it.

As I stated it was a "series" of sticks. So 8 to 10 sticks at a time over a 2 month period. Same needle every time and the area was cleaned with alcohol not betadine which is the same thing used in a fill. I still have the needle if I need more injections. Like I said, I personally don't see the big deal if the tissue is cleaned and the needle is cleaned there should be no problem.

The needle also get dull after repeated use. I do body piercing for a living and I don't reuse needles more than once ever, even if I am doing a pair of ear lobes, each lobe gets a new needle. I am doing what I was taught in an OSHA class for blood born pathogens. ~Mandy

when getting your blood drawn, if the technologist does not get into the vein the first time.... the remove and re insert to get the vein.... right? they don't change the needle in this case...... this is a similar idea in re-using the fill needle i believe..........(which i am totally against by the way)

BUT the problem lies here re: spreading infection.......

how do they draw the saline fill solution into that dirty needle??? i am sure each client does not have their own bottle... i am sure a large size bottle is used for everyone..... so if this dr. is sticking everyone's needles into the same bottle..... i dont even want to know the consequences.....also in this case.... it will make the saline non sterile as well, and i think anything going into ur body should be sterile.

also, someone said that canada's government run health care may be lax....... i assure u, this is not a normal practice

http://www.bddiabetes.com/us/main.aspx?cat=1&id=266

Mindy

http://www.bddiabetes.com/us/main.aspx?cat=1&id=266

Mindy

I am totally against using the same needle, yuck... however,

The information on this link says nothing about the risk of infection when using the same needle.

It looks like they are just making a case for you to buy more BD needles!

"BD's thin, fine, high quality needles are designed to be used one time only"

when getting your blood drawn, if the technologist does not get into the vein the first time.... the remove and re insert to get the vein.... right? they don't change the needle in this case...... this is a similar idea in re-using the fill needle i believe..........(which i am totally against by the way)

BUT the problem lies here re: spreading infection.......

how do they draw the saline fill solution into that dirty needle??? i am sure each client does not have their own bottle... i am sure a large size bottle is used for everyone..... so if this dr. is sticking everyone's needles into the same bottle..... i dont even want to know the consequences.....also in this case.... it will make the saline non sterile as well, and i think anything going into ur body should be sterile.

also, someone said that canada's government run health care may be lax....... i assure u, this is not a normal practice

Yes, they will re-puncture the skin with the needle, not a muscle and a layer of fat. The vein is just under the surface of the skin, not nearly as deep as the port. I totally agree about drawing from the saline bottle, yuck. ~Mandy

I guess its just me from being in the medical field and it being DRILLED into my head from OSHA and EVERY SINGLE HOSPITAL and DOCTOR that I worked with. You DO NOT REUSE NEEDLES . I dont get why that is so hard or difficult to understand. I dont get why some do not see how the risk of infection can be spread , regardless if its reused on you or not . I find tha arragonce that some think they know more than doctors, the goverment, OSHA, CDC, and can tell or imply to others that this is even SLIGHTLY Ok to be VERY Worrisome.

And I can gurantee you that if you informed any doc in the US that you are reusing a needle on yourself for something that has to do with a band they would either A, drop you as a patient or B make you sign a wavier that from that point forward they are no longer responsible if something happened in your care with your band.

Im sorry , I do not mean to be rude , but I Just dont get this train of thought that this is ok , healthy , safe, .. Its just NOT .

Mindy

Good link Leatha. Not to leave out "regular" staph infections, bacterial infections and a variety of other infections that can be gotten from reuse of needles . Just makes me shutter.

Mindy

leatha, I am going to book mark that page for future reference. It's a great way to curb the appetite. ~Mandy

Just when I think I've heard it "all"...something like this crops up! Stop this jerk (because it should be illegal to even suggest that he is a physician)!!

Good luck in your search for a reputable doctor. Dealing with issues such as this is a needless emotional bandwagon, one that you don't need, but thank God that you had the courage to say ENOUGH ALREADY!! Hugggs Dreamer

The point about the saline bottle clenches the argument. Who ever had this experience should let us know what ever happened!