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[-] jordanlund@lemmy.world 217 points 1 year ago

Also why you don't re-use needles:

[-] LodeMike@lemmy.today 168 points 1 year ago

That's not the main reason why we don't reuse needles.

[-] plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works 37 points 1 year ago

For even into the same patient…

[-] HonoraryMancunian@lemmy.world 20 points 1 year ago

Pfft I reckon we can reuse it once from that pic

[-] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago
[-] princessnorah 5 points 1 year ago

Insulin needles are used in this way, because they're usually permanently attached to their syringe. Rather than using a drawing needle then an injection needle.

[-] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

Oh does insulin have a thick rubber stopper? I'm a lemmy stereotype and so my only experience with injections is estrogen

[-] princessnorah 4 points 1 year ago

Uhm... same! So I couldn't tell you. I do have a friend that's type 1, but she uses an insulin pump these days.

[-] burntbacon@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 year ago

Aye, and besides drug users on the streets, that's who the top picture was actually for. I can't recall how many of those signs I've seen when I was picking up needles with my insulin. I also know my uncle reused his up to 10 times or so. Worst I've ever gone was like 5-6. It's actually quite difficult to get needles when you're not at home and forget some (and they're annoyingly easy to forget).

[-] princessnorah 3 points 1 year ago

Wait, what? I meant reused as in the vial and my body...

[-] burntbacon@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Yes, I get that. So what I was saying, in a continuation of your comment on insulin needles being used that way, was that the top picture here, showing what needles looked like after multiple times of use, was most often displayed near pharmacies, where insulin and needles were dispensed to diabetics. I saw them there more than I ever saw them in anti-drug areas/campaigns. I was further adding in the perspective that there was a good reason for doing that, as diabetics (and probably other users of injected drugs) were most definitely reusing needles, as evidenced by the stories from my uncle and my own experience.

[-] princessnorah 3 points 1 year ago

That's honestly a bit terrifying...

[-] DaGeek247@fedia.io 130 points 1 year ago

It's a little misleading in that the last photo is zoomed in a lot more than the previous ones. This one has that without the extra zoom in.

[-] jaybone@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 year ago

Could they be cleaned with isopropyl alcohol or an autoclave?

[-] CXORA@aussie.zone 49 points 1 year ago

It's less about the dirt than the tip deforming.

When the needle is less pointy, it'll hurt more.

[-] MonkeMischief@lemmy.today 21 points 1 year ago

Not only that but look how it forms a freaking fishing hook on the end like a barb. Yikes!!!

[-] reddit_sux@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

Autoclave will deform the needle even more. The edge of the tip is made from softer steel so that it is sharper while at the same time more deformable.

[-] Natanox@discuss.tchncs.de 17 points 1 year ago

Assumably also for manufacturing and safety reasons. You don't want the tip of a needle to shatter inside you, softer steel won't do that. And it's a little bit easier to manufacture with softer steel as well.

[-] emergencyfood@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 year ago

Needles were autoclaved and re-used once upon a time, so it should be possible. But disposable needles are probably made of softer material than reusable ones.

[-] reddit_sux@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

Those were made up harder steel which can't be sharpened to the degree softer steel can be. Harder steel shatters if sharpened since harder it is brittle it becomes.

So reusable needle are blunt, so injections are painful. And as mentioned by @Natanox@discuss.tchncs.de they used to shatter inside the body after a few cycles of autoclaving.

[-] bluesheep@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago

Comparing the pictures it looks like the exact same set of photos except like you said, more zoomed in.

[-] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 27 points 1 year ago

Wow, I did not expect that.

[-] someguy3@lemmy.world 20 points 1 year ago

Can we see the skin after that sixth use?

[-] leds@feddit.dk 1 points 1 year ago

So when nurse misses a vein and want to try again you should ask them to uae a new needle?

[-] jordanlund@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

For good procedure, yes.

this post was submitted on 09 Aug 2025
637 points (100.0% liked)

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