Injecting Insulin with a Syringe Pen

The administration of insulin with a reusable or disposable syringe is practically the same.

The only difference is the preparation of the pen for injection.

Preparing a reusable syringe pen

First you need to get the insulin cartridge out of the refrigerator in advance so that the insulin warms up to room temperature;
Unscrew the top of the handle from the bottom;
Insert the cartridge into the syringe pen and tighten the upper and lower parts;
Screw the needle onto the syringe pen;
Remove the cap from the needle and lower 2-3 units into the air so that a drop of insulin appears on the needle;
If the cartridge has insulin, which consists of two components (for example, protafan), you must first shake the insulin by using a rocking motion with your hand, and then lower a couple of units;
Close the needle with a cap, put the cap on the syringe pen;
Now it is ready to use.

Preparation of a disposable syringe pen

Get the syringe pen out of the refrigerator in advance so that the insulin warms up to room temperature;
Screw the needle onto the syringe pen;
Lower 2-3 units of insulin to release air from the cartridge;
Put the cap on the needle;
The pen is now ready for an injection.

Insulin is injected into the subcutaneous layer of the skin. Avoid getting insulin into the muscles and adipose tissue, this will change the rate of absorption of insulin, which can lead to an increase / decrease in sugar.

The technique of administering insulin with a syringe pen

Remove the cap from the syringe pen and needle;
Waste 1 unit of insulin;
If necessary, shake insulin, then lower 1 unit;
Choose the desired dose of insulin by turning the dial to the desired number;
Inject by inserting the needle under the skin and press the button down;
Wait for a characteristic sound, notifying that the piston is pressed to the end and the entire dose is entered;
Do not pull out the needle immediately after injection. Hold the needle, counting to 5.
Take out the needle, close the cap and unscrew;
Dispose of the used needle;
At the next injection, attach a new needle.

Syringe Insulin

The set of insulin in the syringe has some features, but by repeating this procedure several times, you will cease to have difficulties, and you will do everything automatically.

Today, almost all insulin syringes are sold with a soldered needle, that is, the needle in the syringe is irreplaceable.

Syringe insulin injection technique

Remove the cap from the syringe;
Turn the syringe with the needle up and pull the piston back to the dose that you intend to administer;
Holding the vial with insulin with your free hand, with the other hand, insert the syringe into the vial, piercing the rubber cap of the vial;
Press the piston of the syringe and introduce the air accumulated in advance into the drug bottle;
Do not pull the needle out of the vial;
Carefully flip the vial so that it is above the syringe and the syringe will be placed with the needle up. The needle is inserted into the bottle;
Pulling the piston of the syringe down, dial the desired dose of insulin;
Check accumulated insulin for bubbles;
If there are bubbles in the syringe, then insulin should be lowered back into the vial and the set of insulin repeated, starting from the beginning;
If everything is normal and there are no bubbles in the syringe, then remove the needle from the vial;
Inject insulin and close the syringe cap.

Insulin injection sites

As mentioned above, it is important to choose the right injection site for insulin. The rate of its absorption and, accordingly, the speed of the beginning of work depends on this

Short and ultrashort insulins:

The abdomen- to the right, to the left of the navel, above and below the navel;
Outer side of forearm

Prolonged insulins injected to:

Outer thigh
Buttocks

Each next injection should be done 1-2cm further than the previous one. You cannot poke several times in a row in the same place, this is fraught with the development of diabetic lipodystrophy – a pathological change in adipose tissue, in which “bumps” appear. These places may hurt. Do not inject insulin.

Common recomendations

In order not to make a mistake and not to stab the same place, it is recommended to develop a system for changing injection sites.

The choice of injection site affects the rate of absorption of insulin. So, insulin is most rapidly absorbed when it is introduced into the abdomen.

Then, the forearms go by the rate of absorption.

The longest insulin is absorbed from the buttocks.

When injecting into the stomach with one hand, hold the syringe pen, with the other hand, make a small fold of skin and insert a needle into it.

The same should be done with thigh injections.

Proper administration of insulin, the right choice of injection sites will have a positive effect on the course of diabetes.