How many times can you reuse an insulin pen needle?
Anna, It is advisable to use a new needle each time. You should never carry a pen with a pen needle attached because – air in insulin cartidges can cause inaccurate dosages. Going from warm to cool temperatures causes the insulin in the cartridge to contract, bringing air into the cartridge. This can cause dosage accuracy to be reduced by as much as 12 out of 20 units, or 60%. Leakage can change insulin concentration. Going from cool to warm temperatures can cause insulin expansion and leakage. With NPH or mixed insulins (70/30 or 50/50), fluid leakage can change the concentration of the insulin. Most patients can reuse pen needles without difficulty. If pen needles are reused, it is advisable that an “air shot” of 2 units be performed before each injection. This will assure that the insulin hasn’t crystallized in the needle and that the pen is working properly. ALL ANSWERS SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY RESEARCHED, IN ANY FORUM AND ESPECIALLY IN THIS ONE. – MANY ANSWERS ARE FLAWED. The informat
