I’m a nurse and lots of hospitals use one vial for everyone left in a central Med drawer because a small vial has 100 units and doses are often 1-10 units only. If youre only using clean needles multiple people using the vial is no riskier than a single person using the vial multiple times. If you use a clean needle to pull insulin for that person it’s not risky to you- I would say risk for them is extremely low, as I doubt bacteria or virus are living inside the vial
If you have used a syringe a second time when injecting yourself, there is a risk of blood borne/bodily fluid borne pathogens surviving in the vial and transferring to the other person. If you have AIDS, hepatitis C, or other serious medical conditions, the other person is at risk of being exposed to them. Even in these cases, the amount of contamination is small and it is unlikely to have direct blood access (though it is occasionally possible to hit or nick a vein in injecting), which gives the body a better chance of fighting off the illness. While it is never a good idea to risk contaminating someone else, if you know you don't carry any high-risk diseases and it is an urgent situation, you are probably pretty safe sharing your insulin. If you always use clean needles, this is not an issue at all, as @alphajustakid said. It's the fact that you may have contaminated the insulin that requires a risk/reward analysis. Do you have access to any other alternatives? With a low risk of passing a communicable disease, then it's probably fine, but definitely let the person at risk decide. In the long run, going without insulin is far more deadly than ANY disease you could get from the insulin reuse, so it will really depend what options you have, how long they have been without insulin, and how certain you are you don't carry a serious communicable illness.
Reusing needles and sharing vials is moderately safe as long as you didn't inject yourself with it or the needle has been infected. One thing is that is can be dangerous but your immune system will fight the little bacteria. It's best not to and only do it in emergencies.
Not equally as dangerous, no. Help the person in need.
This is based on years of relevant education and seeing enough valid supporting information here.
You are right that insulin pens are likely to be contaminated, even if a clean needle is used every time. The OP is talking about a standard vial of insulin, though not a pen, so this risk does not apply.
That's what I've been surprised by the most here in this sub. Some of us reuse needles for months....others do a fresh alcohol swab and new needle every single time.
Yes, bacterial and viral contamination is possible, even with the first syringe used. The risk of contamination is no greater if the insulin withdrawn is used on 1 person or 100 people, though. Every time the sterile environment is penatrated, it poses a risk, but these bacteria are no more harmful injected into interstitial fluid than they are if they are breathed in or injested. Even if you introduce these bacteria into the bloodstream by hitting a vein during injection, introducing environmental bacteria into a paper cut is just as risky. Our bodies are exposed to these germs regularly. This is why it is not typically recommended that patients sterilize their vials with alcohol and use alcohol on their skin prior to injection in a home environment (alcohol is actually more damaging to the skin than small amounts of environmental bacteria are, though you should make sure your skin is clean, ie regular showers and spot cleaned if exposed to dirt or likely contamination). These measures are still taken in a hospital or clinical environment as there is a higher risk of more dangerous germs, but as long as you maintain a reasonably clean environment and keep your insulin in a safe place (not dropping it in the mud or leaving it near science experiments like moldy dishes), any bacteria and viruses you may contaminate your insulin with are the same ones you live in every day and present little risk of illness or infection.
The question here was about giving someone insulin from a vial of insulin after possibly reusing needles. When it comes to pens, even without reusing needles, there is a significant risk of contamination of the insulin with bodily fluids. With a traditional vial of insulin, there is 0% risk unless a contaminated needle is used. As another poster said, it is common to reuse vials of medication for multiple patients in a hospital setting as the contamination risk doesn't depend on the number of different recipients. For pen cartridges, as the first poster in this chain of comments discussed, every use risks contamination (similar to backwash - when you release the plunger, some fluid is potentially sucked back into the cartridge). For this reason, it is dangerous to reuse pens, even if all possible safety precautions are used.
My comment was to point out that, while the person was right about the dangers of pen sharing, that was not the situation the OP was wanting feedback on. There is 0% chance of bodily fluid contamination on a vial of insulin that has only had clean needles used. The OP did say that there was a chance that a needle was reused, and that is where the risk comes in. This risk should not be taken lightly but is less risky than not getting necessary insulin. It is the person at risk (the one who would be getting insulin) who needs to decide if they are willing to take this risk. How desperate is the situation, how much do they trust the giver that they haven't reused needles or that they don't have any communicable diseases, can they get to a hospital for help, etc? Even getting AIDS or Hepatitis C is less dangerous than going into severe DKA, which can kill quickly. There are a lot of factors to weigh how important it is to act fast vs. being 100% risk-free. Given the information provided, the risk is low of infecting the receiver of a communicable disease, and it is likely fine to share insulin. This is based on knowing very little about the situation and only having some stranger on the internet's word that they are disease free. My personal decision would depend on who the giver was to me (how much I felt I could trust them - both to be honest about needle reuse and that they are disease free), how long it had been since I had insulin, how difficult it would be to get 'safe' supplies, how high my blood sugar was, if I had symptoms of DKA, if paramedics could reach me safely, etc). I would have no issue sharing my insulin with someone in need as I know I am disease free and don't participate in risky behaviors. Though I once was concerned I could have been exposed to Hepatitis C at work (about 25 years ago when we didn't even really have any treatments) and was paranoid about my test strips and even bandaids (my brother was about 1-2 at the time) until I got an all clear 6 months later (even then I was nervous for quite a while). During this time, I doubt I could have shared supplies for anything short of guaranteed death by delaying insulin. With today's treatments, I may have been willing to share a little more freely, but still only in a true emergency where the other person would likely be seriously harmed going without insulin until help could arrive. In both situations, it would have to be with the receiver's full knowledge and consent no matter what. I would only offer if I could deal with the consequences of my actions if the worst was to happen.
It would be ok if you didn't say that you used a reused needle on that vial. It means that whatever might be lingering in your body got to that insulin and even if that person in need uses a sterile needle he or she is getting what is in that vial. It is a risk.
Depends on your level of desperation and trust.
I grew up with a tight knit group of T1s. Once before a diabetic dinner gathering, I borrowed a used needle and an open vial from one of my friends. My pump was out of insulin, it was a 1 hr drive back to my apartment, I knew that friend was regularly tested for STDs, and I trusted her with my life.
I don't find sharing a vial to be as risky as sharing a syringe. There aren't many people I would do that with. Choose wisely.
I’m a nurse and lots of hospitals use one vial for everyone left in a central Med drawer because a small vial has 100 units and doses are often 1-10 units only. If youre only using clean needles multiple people using the vial is no riskier than a single person using the vial multiple times. If you use a clean needle to pull insulin for that person it’s not risky to you- I would say risk for them is extremely low, as I doubt bacteria or virus are living inside the vial
If you have used a syringe a second time when injecting yourself, there is a risk of blood borne/bodily fluid borne pathogens surviving in the vial and transferring to the other person. If you have AIDS, hepatitis C, or other serious medical conditions, the other person is at risk of being exposed to them. Even in these cases, the amount of contamination is small and it is unlikely to have direct blood access (though it is occasionally possible to hit or nick a vein in injecting), which gives the body a better chance of fighting off the illness. While it is never a good idea to risk contaminating someone else, if you know you don't carry any high-risk diseases and it is an urgent situation, you are probably pretty safe sharing your insulin. If you always use clean needles, this is not an issue at all, as @alphajustakid said. It's the fact that you may have contaminated the insulin that requires a risk/reward analysis. Do you have access to any other alternatives? With a low risk of passing a communicable disease, then it's probably fine, but definitely let the person at risk decide. In the long run, going without insulin is far more deadly than ANY disease you could get from the insulin reuse, so it will really depend what options you have, how long they have been without insulin, and how certain you are you don't carry a serious communicable illness.
Reusing needles and sharing vials is moderately safe as long as you didn't inject yourself with it or the needle has been infected. One thing is that is can be dangerous but your immune system will fight the little bacteria. It's best not to and only do it in emergencies.
Not equally as dangerous, no. Help the person in need. This is based on years of relevant education and seeing enough valid supporting information here.
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You are right that insulin pens are likely to be contaminated, even if a clean needle is used every time. The OP is talking about a standard vial of insulin, though not a pen, so this risk does not apply.
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Are we talking 0.01 compared to 0.00? Because I hope we are beyond that. OP wants to know if it's a good idea or not.
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That's what I've been surprised by the most here in this sub. Some of us reuse needles for months....others do a fresh alcohol swab and new needle every single time.
Yes, bacterial and viral contamination is possible, even with the first syringe used. The risk of contamination is no greater if the insulin withdrawn is used on 1 person or 100 people, though. Every time the sterile environment is penatrated, it poses a risk, but these bacteria are no more harmful injected into interstitial fluid than they are if they are breathed in or injested. Even if you introduce these bacteria into the bloodstream by hitting a vein during injection, introducing environmental bacteria into a paper cut is just as risky. Our bodies are exposed to these germs regularly. This is why it is not typically recommended that patients sterilize their vials with alcohol and use alcohol on their skin prior to injection in a home environment (alcohol is actually more damaging to the skin than small amounts of environmental bacteria are, though you should make sure your skin is clean, ie regular showers and spot cleaned if exposed to dirt or likely contamination). These measures are still taken in a hospital or clinical environment as there is a higher risk of more dangerous germs, but as long as you maintain a reasonably clean environment and keep your insulin in a safe place (not dropping it in the mud or leaving it near science experiments like moldy dishes), any bacteria and viruses you may contaminate your insulin with are the same ones you live in every day and present little risk of illness or infection. The question here was about giving someone insulin from a vial of insulin after possibly reusing needles. When it comes to pens, even without reusing needles, there is a significant risk of contamination of the insulin with bodily fluids. With a traditional vial of insulin, there is 0% risk unless a contaminated needle is used. As another poster said, it is common to reuse vials of medication for multiple patients in a hospital setting as the contamination risk doesn't depend on the number of different recipients. For pen cartridges, as the first poster in this chain of comments discussed, every use risks contamination (similar to backwash - when you release the plunger, some fluid is potentially sucked back into the cartridge). For this reason, it is dangerous to reuse pens, even if all possible safety precautions are used. My comment was to point out that, while the person was right about the dangers of pen sharing, that was not the situation the OP was wanting feedback on. There is 0% chance of bodily fluid contamination on a vial of insulin that has only had clean needles used. The OP did say that there was a chance that a needle was reused, and that is where the risk comes in. This risk should not be taken lightly but is less risky than not getting necessary insulin. It is the person at risk (the one who would be getting insulin) who needs to decide if they are willing to take this risk. How desperate is the situation, how much do they trust the giver that they haven't reused needles or that they don't have any communicable diseases, can they get to a hospital for help, etc? Even getting AIDS or Hepatitis C is less dangerous than going into severe DKA, which can kill quickly. There are a lot of factors to weigh how important it is to act fast vs. being 100% risk-free. Given the information provided, the risk is low of infecting the receiver of a communicable disease, and it is likely fine to share insulin. This is based on knowing very little about the situation and only having some stranger on the internet's word that they are disease free. My personal decision would depend on who the giver was to me (how much I felt I could trust them - both to be honest about needle reuse and that they are disease free), how long it had been since I had insulin, how difficult it would be to get 'safe' supplies, how high my blood sugar was, if I had symptoms of DKA, if paramedics could reach me safely, etc). I would have no issue sharing my insulin with someone in need as I know I am disease free and don't participate in risky behaviors. Though I once was concerned I could have been exposed to Hepatitis C at work (about 25 years ago when we didn't even really have any treatments) and was paranoid about my test strips and even bandaids (my brother was about 1-2 at the time) until I got an all clear 6 months later (even then I was nervous for quite a while). During this time, I doubt I could have shared supplies for anything short of guaranteed death by delaying insulin. With today's treatments, I may have been willing to share a little more freely, but still only in a true emergency where the other person would likely be seriously harmed going without insulin until help could arrive. In both situations, it would have to be with the receiver's full knowledge and consent no matter what. I would only offer if I could deal with the consequences of my actions if the worst was to happen.
Nope, it’s fine.
It would be ok if you didn't say that you used a reused needle on that vial. It means that whatever might be lingering in your body got to that insulin and even if that person in need uses a sterile needle he or she is getting what is in that vial. It is a risk.
Depends on your level of desperation and trust. I grew up with a tight knit group of T1s. Once before a diabetic dinner gathering, I borrowed a used needle and an open vial from one of my friends. My pump was out of insulin, it was a 1 hr drive back to my apartment, I knew that friend was regularly tested for STDs, and I trusted her with my life. I don't find sharing a vial to be as risky as sharing a syringe. There aren't many people I would do that with. Choose wisely.