17
LIVING
need to know
WHO also suggest that if the skin is visibly clean
swabbing is not necessary and does not reduce infection:
"Various health organizations including the WHO,
United Kingdom's Department of Health, and Australia's
Department of Health have stated that if the skin is visibly
clean, disinfecting the skin (or alcohol swabbing) is not
necessary and does not reduce infection. To the contrary,
the Public Health Agency of Canada advises the practice
of cleaning the skin with a suitable antiseptic solution
prior to vaccination or injection. Hence, there is ongoing
debate whether the continued use of alcohol swabbing is
clinically necessary and effective for routine injections or
vaccinations."
One must also consider if the regular use of alcohol
toughens the skin in an unhelpful way given that some
people may be injecting insulin several times a day. It is
important to keep a close eye on your injection sites and
contact your healthcare team for any concerns.
To read the full article, click HERE.
Diabetes UK advises cleaning the skin with hot soapy
water when injecting insulin and that you do not need
separate wipes. To read more, click HERE.
There are many different views on the use of alcohol
swabs and the effectiveness of protecting against
infection, the key thing to remember is use your common
sense to ensure the area is clean and stay in touch with
your healthcare team. Do check out our tips for spotting
an infection and heading it off at the pass before it takes
a grip.
Never forget that clean healthy skin is a good thing!
If alcohol wipes are something you feel comfortable
using and for peace of mind, and your healthcare team
are happy with the condition of your skin to do so, then
head over to Amazon where you can find lots of different
options from around £3 a box.
Barrier film
Barrier film was designed to protect intact or damaged
skin from bodily fluids, adhesives, and friction, which
may cause infection or irritation. For example, barrier
film is used on the delicate skin that surrounds a stoma*
to protect that skin from unwanted fluids or body waste
making contact with the skin which could lead to skin
irritation, redness, and infection particularly in the
healing phase after stoma surgery.
The role of barrier film in diabetes is to help prevent
mild skin irritation and adhesive reactions such as a
rash or sore red skin through regular use - we have all
experienced that adhesive moment when we remove a
plaster, and it takes your skin off as well, which leaves it
sore and uncomfortable. Barrier films come in the form of
wipes or sprays and produce a protective layer on skin to
help prevent damage from small medical items that need
to be attached - or attached and inserted - on to (and
into) the skin.
Advantages of barrier film include:
• Long Lasting Protection - resilient, hydrophobic
protective barrier (up to 72 hours) from moisture
associated skin damage.
• Non-Sting formulation helps protect both damaged and
intact skin.
• Protects skin from excessive moisture such as sweat
and adhesives thus prevents damage and breakdown of
the skin layers - if you think of when you cut yourself
and apply a plaster, sometimes if the plaster stays on
for a few days the skin under it can get soggy through
sweat or wound exudate along with lack of ventilation,
and can lead to breakdown of the skin
• Suitable for use on children's skin
• Alcohol, fragrance, latex, paraben and phthalates free
Do work with your healthcare professional team when
using products to ensure best outcome for you as one
size does not fit all!
As a side note It may be a good idea to use a good
moisturising and protective emollient cream as part
of your daily skin routine to prevent dryness and skin
irritation and to keep the skin supple and in good
condition generally.
Zeroderma has a range of reasonable priced
emollients, accredited by the British Skin Foundation, you
can find out more on their website but make sure you
don't use the cream on the actual puncture or sensor site,
but use carefully on the surrounding skin and other parts
of our body to give a sense of well-nourished skin and
well-being.