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Originally Posted by alura  I am one of the minority who uses alcohol wipes beforehand and also to clean up. My daughter, the phlebotomist, insists that the alcohol swabs are a good idea. I also choose to use a new lancet each time. With all that, I use the little packet the wipe comes in to hold all the trash and dispose of in the garbage.......been thinking of the best way to dispose of though.....maybe loose in gargabe is not the best. |
You should not be throwing lancets in the trash because there's a very real possibility of someone getting stuck. Many hospitals, drugstores and other health facilities have sharps containers for free or low cost. Different places have different laws about how to dispose of the container once it's full. Many of the places that gave it to you will also take it back. In some places once the container is filled & sealed (and clearly marked) it can be put in with regular trash.
I never used alcohol because it only dries my skin. I try to wash my hands before every test but don't always have the option. I just pick the cleanest finger when I don't have access to a sink. I also rarely change my lancet, although since I've been using the Multiclix I've gotten somewhat better. I've been using it just over a year now and I've recently started my 3rd drum, which means I've already used 12 lancets (6 per drum). That's an average of 1 per month - a record for me!
