Improper sharp disposal practices among diabetes patients in home care settings: Need for concern?

Abstract

In the recent years, outbreaks of blood-borne infections have been reported from assisted living facilities, which were traced back to improper blood glucose monitoring practices. Needle-stick injuries have been implicated in many such cases. This directly raises concerns over sharp disposal practices of diabetic patients self-managing their condition in home care settings. With India being home to a huge diabetic population, this issue, if neglected, can cause substantial damage to the health of the population and a marked economic loss. This article discusses the sharp disposal practices prevalent among diabetes patients, the importance of proper sharp disposal, barriers to safe disposal of sharps, and the options available for doing the same. For adopting an environmentally safe wholesome approach, disposal of plastics generated as a result of diabetes self-care at home is important as well. The article also looks at the possible long-term solutions to these issues that are sustainable in an Indian context.

Insulin therapy waste produced in the households of people with diabetes monitored in Primary Care

“…The preservation of vision in diabetic patients is considered to be crucial; thus, interventions to improve glycemic control through the early and intensive treatment of DM reduce the rates of severe retinopathy and preserve visual acuity (16) . Other studies have also reported that most patients on insulin therapy are decompensated type 2 diabetic (1,17) , showing that self care in the administration of medications, blood glucose monitoring and the correct disposal of insulin therapy waste are essential for maintaining the quality of life of these people (3) . It is important to remember that uncontrolled DM can cause, in the long term, dysfunction and failure of various organs, especially kidneys, eyes, nerves, heart and blood vessels (2) .…”

“…Many diabetic patients had a low education level and some were also illiterate. This finding may negatively influence treatment, because it interferes with the understanding of therapy, and as consequence researches show a lower school level as being associated with the worst levels of adherence to pharmacological and non-pharmacological measures (1)(2)(3)(4) .Given this, the importance of functional health literacy, which is the ability of the individual to follow health guidelines, regardless of his/her educational level, becomes evident, because a person can have a good level of formal instruction, but not follow the health guidelines satisfactorily (15) . Those retired, married or in a common-law marriage prevailed in the sample.…”

“…When health care waste is disposed of incorrectly it can cause accidents among family members, the community and garbage collectors. This fact can lead to the occurrence of outbreaks of infections, such as by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C (3) . However, it was noted that, despite the incorrect disposal held by most participants, there were few accidents at the household involving the sharp materials.…”

“…Treatment is conducted via pharmacological and non-pharmacological measures (2) . The goal is to control blood glucose levels, so that the patient stays symptom-free and does not have acute and chronic complications, promoting quality of life and reducing mortality (3)(4)(5) . In this context, insulin therapy is one of the most important treatments for people with DM and also the one which requires the most care.…”

Biomedical, Sharps and General Waste Disposal in India: Potential for the Spread of Contagious Diseases and Serious Environmental Contamination

“…How do 1.1 million injecting drug users (IDUs) in India [8] dispose of their needles? However, a study reported that sharp disposal into household waste bins by the diabetes patients in India is 84.1% [9] and there is no data on the prevalence of sharp injuries from this household waste.…”