Herbal Health

Disposable syringes and needlesFor ease and comfort, disposable plastic syringes with fine-bore disposable needles are best. These are commonly re-used but I have to point out that the manufacturers of disposable syringes and needles describe them as being for single use only and do not recommend reuse. Keep your spare syringes and needles securely in a dry, clean place.
ButtonsSome companies make tiny needles with a small rubber stopper through which you can inject insulin. One of these needles is inserted every one or two days and either taped down or fixed with its own sticky disc and the insulin is injected as needed. A student on one of our outdoor courses had a button that remained in place in her arm while she was canoeing, climbing and scrambling about the ropes course, with no problem at all, despite my secret worries. These buttons are useful for people who need several injections a day and do not like sticking the needle in frequently.
Insulin pensThese are gradually replacing needle and syringe for many people with diabetes. They use a cartridge of insulin instead of an ink cartridge and a double-ended very fine needle instead of a nib. The cartridge is inserted into the barrel of the pen and the needle is screwed onto the pen so that one end pierces the bung of the cartridge. The pen then has to be primed – that is the plunger makes contact with the cartridge’s upper bung and all the air (if any) is expelled from the cartridge and needle. The insulin dose is then dialed up and injected (Accupen, BD-Lilly pen, Novopen II, Penmix, Pur-in pen) or the plunger is depressed the appropriate number of times (Novopen I). It is very important that have a full training session in the use of your pen, and especially that you know how to change cartridges and prime it. Most pens require you to expel air and a tiny squirt of insulin before each use to ensure that it is working. You must keep an eye on the remaining insulin – you may not be able to give your full dose if the cartridge is nearly empty. Find out who your support is if there are problems. This is usually the diabetes specialist nurse but there may also be a company help-line. What would you do if your pen was broken or stolen? Keep a spare pen if you can, if not keep some ordinary insulin and syringes for emergencies. Remember that small or rural pharmacies are not able to supply cartridges easily, and they may be impossible to obtain abroad. At present all pens are manually operated but companies are experimenting on electrically driven pens.Penject is a device that looks like a large fountain pen. Inside you can fit an ordinary plastic disposable syringe with a needle, replacing the plunger stem of the syringe with the one belonging to the device. A twist of the dial at the top pushes the plunger down to expel two units of U100 insulin. The advantage of this device is that you can fill the syringe with fast-acting insulin and another Penject with slow-acting insulin and carry them in your pocket. At injection time you simply stick the needle under the skin (subcutaneously) as usual and dial in the amount of insulin you need.Penpump, or in the United States Markwell Pen Pump, is a similar device, which is attached to tubing leading to a fine needle. This is inserted subcutaneously every twenty-four hours, and sometimes at longer intervals, and left there. The device can be hung from a bra strap or put in an inside pocket and the dial can be turned to inject insulin whenever needed. This is really only suitable for fast-acting insulin.
*17/102/5*