title: An aid for insulin needle destruction for people with failing eyesight.
abstract: Patients with diabetic retinopathy and failing eyesight have problems in cutting off the needle after insulin injection. We have developed a new aid for attachment to a Becton Dickinson Destruclip needle cutter to simplify needle destruction and make safer handling possible, and studied its effectiveness. The performance time of 10 healthy blindfolded subjects to destroy a needle was compared with and without the aid. The risk of needlestick was also compared. When no aid was used, the time to destroy a needle was on an average: first trial 54 s, second trial 33 s, and third trial 11 s, while with the aid the time was on an average: first trial 16 s, second trial 7 s, and third trial 6 s; thus, the use of the aid shortened the time. Furthermore, without the aid, the frequency of needlestick injury was 1 in 15. With the aid it never occurred. This shows that the new aid for the needle cutter is effective and reduces related injuries.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department, Tokyo Saiseikai Central Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004869:Equipment Safety; D004864:Equipment and Supplies; D005260:Female; D005383:Finger Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007267:Injections / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009339:Needles; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014785:Vision, Ocular
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin