Syringes And Needles

Programs May Curb Hepatitis C in Drug Users

Programs that give injection drug users clean needles or safer drug substitutes may help cut their odds of contracting the liver infection hepatitis C, a new study suggests.

The hepatitis C virus is passed through contact with infected blood. Health care workers are particularly vulnerable, as are people who get tattoos in unclean environments. But in the U.S., most of the roughly 18,000 new infections each year occur when people who inject opiates, like heroin , share tainted needles or syringes.

Studies have found that clean-needle programs do reduce needle-sharing, and they seem to curb drug users' risk of infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The same appears true of programs that get addicts into treatment with opiate "substitutes" like methadone, which is taken orally instead of injected.

But there has been little evidence that these programs help cut the spread of hepatitis C.

A problem with the hepatitis C virus is that it's much easier to transmit than HIV. Even a faint amount of blood on a shared needle, for example, might be enough to infect another person. But the new findings, published in the journal Addiction, suggest that needle and opiate-substitution programs can make a difference in hepatitis C risk, according to senior researcher Matthew Hickman, a professor of public health at the University of Bristol in the UK.

Combining the results from six previous studies of UK programs, Hickman's team found that drug users with the highest "coverage" from clean-needle programs were about half as likely to contract hepatitis C as other users.

Among users who said they got enough clean needles to cover all of their injections, just under 4 percent tested positive for hepatitis C during the studies, which lasted up to a year. That compared with 7 percent of drug users who didn't get clean needles for all their injections.

Similarly, the rate of new hepatitis C infection was 3 percent among drug users who were currently taking an opiate substitute (usually oral methadone), versus 7 percent among those not on treatment.

Drug users participating in both types of programs fared best of all, with a new infection rate of 2 percent.

"The implication is that hepatitis C transmission can be reduced by opiate substitution therapy and needle and syringe programs, especially their combination," Hickman told Reuters Health in an email.

While the study looked only at UK programs, it's likely the results would be similar in other countries, he said.

Diabetes Chronicles: Syringes and Needles | Natural Colon Cleansing

Syringes and needles would probably be considered staples in the life of a diabetic patient. As the patient needs to undergo blood monitoring at all times, these medical supplies are always must-haves. Read on to know more of important information about syringes and needles.

Diabetic Patients: Where do they use syringes and needles?

The diabetes patient has a lot to undergo through. The level of discipline and care he or she should infuse all depends on the type of Diabetes he or she has.

Type 1 Diabetes patients

Those who have Type 1 Diabetes encounter syringes and needles in two ways: when they are checking their blood glucose levels and when they’re injecting insulin to their body. Considered to be the more serious form of diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes patients usually have syringes and needles supplies in their own homes. Insulin injections can be done at home when they are already properly guided by medical professionals. The monitoring process,, on the other hand, requires the use of lancets, syringes and needles.

Type 2 Diabetes patients

Since Type 2 diabetes patients are insulin-resistant, they don’t need to inject insulin. But, they aren’t free of syringes and needles as well. Their monitoring gadgets will also make use of these items to get blood samples. Should they wish to have their blood glucose level checked at the hospital they would als encounter syringes and needles , administered by nurses and doctors.

Diabetic Patient Care: How to dispose syringes and needles

If you or your loved one has Diabetes, it’s important that you know how to handle needles and syringes. Special care should be observed especially when you have kids at home. Here are some steps to ensure that you are properly guided.

Step 1 – Be aware of your locality’s policies disposal of syringes and needles .

A single prick of contaminated needles and syringe can affect the life of the victim. It is for this reason that laws are very strict when it comes to disposing needles and syringes. Head over to your State or Municipality Office to inquire about the existing guidelines on the matter. Some areas even provide their residents with specialized canisters where they can put the used needles and syringes.

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