Posted by Al Gordon on October 29, 2001 at 11:46:39:
In Reply to: Re: ADA Updates Position on Needle Reuse posted by Mark Nesbitt on October 29, 2001 at 10:36:35:
Even if air is sucked into the cartridge, it is expelled when you eject the small amount of insulin immediately prior to injecting. I believe that little upwards squirt is standard practice for any injected liquid.
Bear in mind that a needle tip left on a cartridge injector will retain insulin within its hollow core. A new tip, on the other hand, will contain air. Therefore, in the absence of ejecting air bubbles, I would think that the new tip is the most likely to deliver some air in place of insulin. The amount is obviously small.
In any case, I believe the air-expelling squirt immediately before injecting is the answer to both situations.
Al