How to Administer Insulin

People with diabetes typically undergo several insulin injections per day. They need insulin shots for them to have normal carbohydrates, protein and fat metabolism. Insulin administration at home is a bit easy. You only need a syringe, insulin vial and a refrigerator. Do not reuse syringe after each administration procedure and keep your insulin vials in your refrigerator. It is also important that you double check the amount of dosage as well as the type of insulin that your doctor prescribed. Follow these simple and easy tips on how to administer insulin.
Before anything else, read the insulin label to ensure that you will be administering the correct insulin. You should wash your hands with soap and water to avoid any unnecessary infection. Mix the insulin vial before you use it but don’t shake it to avoid problems. Collect the insulin from the vial using the syringe. Remove the syringe once the vial is filled with the right amount of insulin. Use alcohol swipes when wiping off the top of the insulin vial. You must also double check if there is any sign of bubbles in the syringe. Since bubbles tend to accumulate at times when you pull out the insulin into syringe, you can tap out the bubbles or replace the insulin in the vial.
Next, you must locate the part of the body where you will administer insulin injection. Injection sites are usually those fatty layers such as arms, stomach, thighs and buttocks. Don’t inject insulin on the part of the body with a scar because it might impede the insulin absorption. Wipe the injection site with an alcohol swipe. Be gentle during the process of injection. Be sure that the needle did not get through any vein. Once a vein is damaged, blood will accumulate in the syringe. Once all the insulin has been injected into the body, remove the needle and throw the syringe in a sharps container.
Painful insulin injection can be lessened if the insulin is administered at room temperature. Ensure that there are no air bubbles in the syringe before the injection. You should administer insulin once the topical alcohol has evaporated completely. The muscles in the injection site should relaxed and not tense during the injection. The needle must penetrate in the skin quickly and the direction of the needle during the insertion and withdrawal should not be changed. Lastly, the needles must never be reused.
Here are some few reminders when administering insulin whether self-injection or done by medical personnel. There are a number of people with diabetes who dislike injections which may affect their glycemic control. Self-injection are advisable for people who are 10 years and older. It is recommended that the injection sites should be regularly checked and that the injection techniques, which include pen injector technique and injection by syringe, should be periodically reviewed. Needles and syringes should be properly disposed of in accordance with local regulations. The insulin administration is the responsibility of parents, care providers, and health professionals.


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