22 Comments
How often do you disinfect your skin before giving yourself an injection or changing a site?
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I said “other.” I disinfect with alcohol before changing a CGM site, but not before taking an injection.
I disinfect before putting on a new cgm, but not before an insulin injection.
I use alcohol before CGM and site changes, but not injections. Have had 2 site infections and don’t want another one!
I always use the alcohol wipes provided in the CGM box from Abbott Freestyle Libre. I say ditto to the comments above, I do not use alcohol wipes before injections and never had a problem. I bathe and keep clean under my clothes.
I always disinfect after removing and before putting on a new CGM sensor or insulin pod. After removing because there’s a hole in my skin and I have the alcohol wipe out anyway to use on the new site.
I’ve been doing this for many years and have always disinfected with alcohol wipes, and use skin barrier wipes for cannulas so they hold better. I’ve never had an infection.
CGM:(dexcom G6) alcohol wipe every change and I use a skin barrier wipe as well.
Infusion set: (soft set 90 6mm/23) alcohol wipe to clean area. No skin barrier,But 9/10 times I’m changing sites after a shower. Never an issue with either sites. Rotate sides every change. 3/10 days respectively
My answer depends on what you consider as “disinfecting.” Since Skin Tac contains rubbing alcohol, I’d say I always disinfect even if I only use the Skin Tac while others have insisted that I’m not disinfecting if I don’t also use an alcohol wipe or pure rubbing alcohol to disinfect the area before applying the rubbing alcohol containing Skin Tac to the surface.
All new pump & CGM sites get wiped down with alcohol first. A lot of my manual injections to correct highs when my pump is running low on insulin and I’m out of the house or in a hurry to take injection and move onto next thing I need to do I just grab and inject on the fly without sanitizing.
When I’m camping in the backcountry then I’ll wipe with alcohol. When at home, I’ll just change my site fresh out of the shower. Evidence has shown that it is no longer recommended because it dries out and toughens the skin, while not actually making a difference with infection
Always when changing pump site. Never when testing BG and finger sticking.
Today, I always do. But I put ‘other’ because for years I rarely did before giving myself a shot (unless I was obviously dirty). I’ve never had any issues with an area getting irritated or infected.
Always use alcohol swab before insulin pump and CGM site changes. I’ve given injections without a pre-alcohol wipes only on a few rare occasions when I needed an emergency backup injection on the go and was out of alcohol swabs in my kit. I almost never use alcohol swabs before BG fingersticks though.
Always with pump site changes. I was trained using Hibiclens, have used it for over 30 years and never had an infection! With injections, never, often through clothes. Also never with finger sticks when I use to do them. And alcohol wipes with Dexcom as I use it to clean the transmitter also.
I have been T1D for 50+ years. Have not disinfected for injections, finger sticks, pump sites, or CGM sensor in 30. Have not had even one infection. Gonna keep doin’ what I’ve been doin’.
1) CGMs always
2) Pump tubing always
3) Needle injections seldom
4) Fingersticks never. 👍
Rarely for injection (MDI) or finger sticks. Always use alcohol for Dexcom change.
I use alcohol wipes for Dexcom change. I only started using alcohol wipes before injections since COVID started.
Soap and water or povidone. Povidone for only Dexcom if washing too inconvenient. Fingersticks rarely. Alcohol makes the skin hard. Years ago while still injecting, needles began breaking in my skin. Switched to povidone, the most effective topical disinfectant.
Always when putting in a new insertion set, rarely when giving an injection.
I use an alcohol wipe every time i change a site, insulin injections and test my blood. I use to not not prep for blood tests and almost lost my thumb not again
when on MDIs – never but with a pump – always