Sectional descriptive study that aimed to understand the behavior of people with diabetes mellitus in relation to the practice of use of lancets and / or needles in self-monitoring of blood glucose at home The study was conducted at the Centro de Saúde Escola Joel Domingos Machado, da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto-SP, from August 2008 to July 2009. Data were collected through direct interviews, involving 57 subjects. The results showed that 41 (71.9%) people reuse lancets and / or needles, in a frequency of 1-5 times (52.6%). All subjects reported they did not share the same lancet and / or needles with others. It is necessary to enhance future studies to investigate the risks and benefits of this practice, as well as training courses on diabetes education for healthcare professionals, aiming to meet the complexity of care for users.
Diabetes Mellitus; Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring; Disposable Equipment; Needles
