Injecting Insulin Using a Syringe - Medical Animation
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Injecting Insulin Using a Syringe - Medical Animation
MEDICAL ANIMATION TRANSCRIPT: This video will teach you how to inject your insulin using a syringe. Please watch the entire video before injecting your insulin. Your health care provider may recommend that you inject insulin using a syringe to help you control your blood sugar level. Injecting insulin with a syringe involves choosing an injection site, preparing the syringe and insulin, and then injecting the insulin into your body. Your health care provider will tell you what type of insulin you need, as well as when and how much you need to inject. You will need alcohol wipes, your bottle of insulin, a new syringe for each injection, and a sharps disposal container to throw away the used syringes. A disposable syringe has the following parts-- a barrel, a plunger, a needle cap, and a needle. Selecting the injection site. Before injecting your insulin, select the injection site on your body. The areas for insulin injection include the abdomen or belly, the thighs, the back of your upper arms, and the buttocks. When selecting the injection site, be sure you use a different spot each time you give yourself an injection. Leave at least one inch away from the last injection spot. Inject your insulin at least two inches from your bellybutton, and choose a spot one inch or farther away from any scar or mole. Preparing the syringe and insulin. Step 1. Wash your hands with soap and water and then dry them. Step 2. If your insulin needs to be mixed, gently roll the bottle between your hands. Do not shake the bottle because it may cause bubbles to form in your insulin. Before injecting yourself, check the insulin in the bottle to make sure it is the type of insulin your doctor prescribed for you, not past the expiration date, not discolored, and the insulin is free of clumps. Step 3. Remove the cap from your insulin bottle. Use an alcohol wipe to clean the rubber stopper on the top of the bottle. Step 4. Remove the syringe from its package. Be sure to use a new syringe each time you inject insulin. Step 5. Remove the needle cap from the syringe. Do not touch the needle or allow it to touch any surface, and do not use the syringe if the needle is bent. Some syringes have a cap over the plunger that you may need to remove as well. Step 6. Pull back the plunger to draw in an amount of air that is equal to your insulin dose. Step 7. Hold your insulin bottle securely on a flat surface. Push the needle through the rubber on the top of the bottle. Push the plunger to inject the air into the insulin bottle. Leave the needle in the bottle. This helps to keep the right amount of pressure in the bottle and makes it easier to draw insulin into the syringe. Step 8. With the needle still in the bottle, turn the bottle and syringe upside down. Step 9. Pull back the plunger to fill the syringe with just a little more than the insulin dose you need. If you see air bubbles, tap the barrel of the syringe with your finger to make them rise to the top. Slowly push in the plunger just enough to push out the air and extra insulin. Step 10. Carefully check to make sure the amount of insulin in the syringe matches your insulin dose. Pull the needle out of the bottle and carefully lay the syringe on a flat, clean surface. Make sure the needle does not touch anything. Injecting the insulin. Step 1. Clean your injection site with an alcohol wipe. Use a circular motion to clean a spot about two inches wide. Step 2. Pinch a two-inch fold of skin in the cleaned injection spot. Step 3. Hold the syringe like a pencil and quickly insert the needle straight into your skin at a 90-degree angle. Make sure the whole needle enters your skin. Step 4. Push the plunger all the way down to inject the insulin into the fat tissue beneath your skin. Slowly count to five, before removing the needle to make sure you have injected all of the insulin. Step 5. Pull the needle straight out to remove it. Step 6. Throw away the syringe into your sharps disposal container. Never throw your syringes or needles directly into the trash. Contact your healthcare provider if you have questions about injecting your insulin or if your blood sugar level stays above or below your target range.
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