The Canadian Diabetes Association does not recommend using alcohol. See their website for more tips on testing...
http://www.diabetes.ca/diabetes-and-you/living/guidelines/fingertip-testing/I wash my hands for finger sticks but for shots and inserting my sensor I do use the alcohol swabs. I didn’t at one point and the shot hurt so much I went back.
Least the way I do it is… Soap and water for lancing fingers unless they are visibly dirty and that doesnt quite get the dirt off, or iv been in/am in a public place and cannot wash up, then ill use a swab and wipe the one finger and let dry… Injections or refilling a pump cartridge… if i think im sweaty or such (usually not able to just use soap and water in such cases)… Usually always swab the bottles esp if im prepping a cartridge… If im inserting a set… if possible a shower, and CHG/Hibistat (this was debated on another forum but I have had site infections (Hibistat does contain alcohol but thats not the primary reason its used)… let dry and do that… Similar procedure for Dexcom sensors… Dont accidently use hand sanitizer than try to prick your finger… My meter seemed really twitchy and gave a false high… washed my hands and it was fine…
What do you think of the Orbit micros, been trying to get my local DME to carry them. Unfortunately I *HAVE* to use this particlar DME... which is a mixed blessing...
Yeah… I just have to find something different b/c actual washing my hands all the time is doing me a lot more damage than alcohol wipes would. I will try MissKitka’s suggestion for the glycerin neutrogena type soaps, and then if that doesn’t work… I might have to do alcohol swabs until I find something better…
Your question was about shots, right? People are talking about bg testing.
Type 1 for 26 years. Probably stopped using alcohol swabs about 23 or 24 years ago. Never a problem.
The problem with soap is that it’s alkaline. That’s what irritates skin. If you can find pH balanced soap, it wouldn’t cause dryness.
Using vodka to clean your injection sites is alcohol abuse!
Liz -- Have you tried NON "antibacterial" soap? The chemical in anti-bacterial soaps in the USA is triclosan. As far as I know, this is not used in Europe because it is believed to be damaging to the body and the environment. The FDA investigation is still inconclusive, but I believe there is enough evidence to choose to buy soaps without triclosan, which are just as effective for cleaning.
I have always suffered from dry hands -- but I have found that I have a lot less problems when I avoid soaps with triclosan.
I do the same. I use IV Prep or alcohol spray before inserting pump infusion sets, but never for injections or blood sugar testing.
I use IV Preps before placing my pod, and yes I realized they say you don't need to; however, I've not had one fall off yet. I use an alcohol swab if I have one after removing the pod, if I don't have one handy I don't worry about it since they usually are clean (read, no blood).
I wash my hand before checking my BG if I'm in a bathroom but usually I am not, so don't. I also do not stick my fingers but around the elbows and don't wash or use alcohol swabs there either. Just not too worried about it since it has been over 50 years and I've never had an infection or anything else all of that time.
I used the alcohol swabs for maybe 5 years after diagnosis before I decided they weren't doing anything for me in terms of diabetes care. That said I still keep some around just for general cleaning etc. I would guess that maybe ten percent of them get used to clean things for diabetes care purposes and the rest get used for cleaning other gunked up items.
When first introduced to home bg testing a couple years after diagnosis they hinted to me that I didn't really have to change out the lancet every time either :-).
I figured out maybe ten years in (when I had to buy my own syringes due to lapses in insurance coverage) that I could re-use syringes too.
Do I use alcohol on lance sites and injection sites? No. I don't consider it a risk, I've been lancing for more than five years and injecting for nearly three and I've never had an infection. If I pumped, I would consider it prudent and practical to use it on insertion sites. After all, the insertion site is going to basically be an open wound for days and infection is a bigger concern.
But I will tell you the biggest reason to use alcohol on lance and injection sites, and that is when it is a medical professional performing the procedure. If a medical professional doesn't use alcohol something is very, very wrong. Cleanliness is critically important and if there is one measure about the care you are recieving in a place like the hospital, you can just "observe." Every practitioner should be washing their hands or using hand sanitizer and you should never have a lancing or injection without alcohol swabs.
Prior to starting the pump, the majority of mine went to cleaning up my keyboard. They do make good gunk catchers to get down in the little slots between the keys.
It's been proven that a swipe with an alcohol swab doesn't disinfect anything. Notice, they don't use alcohol for major surgery!
It's just custom for them to use alcohol for blood draws or injections. It does clean off surface dirt, but it doesn't kill bacteria. Fortunately, if you're in good health, the bacteria won't get you anyway.
I agree that they should all be washing their hands, although they almost all use hand sanitizer nowadays.
I use alcohol wipes to disinfect an insertion site but I don’t use them for testing or injection. I’m on a pump now so the injections are pretty infrequent. In the early days, I used a swab for everything; now, not so much.
My understanding is that alcohol of strength of 70% (typical of swabs etc.) kills bacteria within 15 to 30 seconds. I can't find where I learned that. As to how it does works: http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5462404_alcohol-kill-bacteria.html
I use them for three things.
clean the location where I stick myself to check BGs, clean the pen before putting on the needle, and to clean the location where I will put the needle.
I have heard about the liver and immune system damage, but I don't think it is all that likely. Certainly it is a lot less likely than an infection, to which I seem to be prone.
I stopped using alcohol before injecting about the 2 week of my diagnosis. I used to clean off the pen needle port every time. Now I’m doing it daily and thinking of stopping all together. Just handling an alcohol prep dries my skin out.
It has more to do with the friction than anything else. If you want more info, I could give you the address of my micro prof 