Essential Steps for Proper Insulin Injection

Giving an insulin injection is not difficult if you know how to do it properly, but you must make sure you follow the right instructions. Having someone show you how to do it and walk you through the steps is the easiest way to learn, but if that's not available to you, here is a step-by-step walkthrough to help you with the process.

This walkthrough is assuming you only need to inject a single type of insulin. If you are using two kinds of insulin, which is less common, there are slightly different procedures.

Before You Inject

• Wash your hands, using soap and water.
• Make sure you are using the right insulin and that it has not expired. If there are clumps on the sides of the bottle, throw it away and get a new bottle.
• Take off the vial's plastic cover, if applicable. Use an alcohol wipe to wipe the top of the bottle, then let it dry.
• Select one of your needles. You can get needles and syringes at www.BulkSyringes.com. Take the cap off the needle, but don't touch the needle; you need to keep it sterile. Pull back the syringe plunger to put the same amount of air in the syringe as the dose you need.
• Put the needle through the insulin bottle's rubber top, and push the syringe plunger.
• With the needle still in the bottle, turn the bottle upside down and pull back on the plunger to get the correct dose into the syringe.
• Check for air bubbles. If there are any, hold the syringe and bottle in one hand while tapping the syringe with the other. This will cause the bubbles to float to the top. Push the bubbles back into the bottle and then pull the syringe back again to get the right dose of insulin.

Giving the Injection

• Select the location for the injection. Don't do it in the same place all the time. Keep a chart to mark off places you've used recently.
• Shots should be given at least 2 inches away from your navel and 1 inch away from scars.
• Do not give an injection someplace that is swollen, bruised, or tender.
• If the skin is dirty, do not use an alcohol wipe. Simply clean it with soap and water and allow it to dry.
• Pinch the skin and insert the needle at a 45-degree angle. Push the needle all the way into the skin and let go of the skin. Slowly inject the insulin until it has all gone in.
• Don't take the syringe out immediately after injecting. Wait 5 seconds.
• Pull the needle out at the angle it went in. Dispose of the needle and syringe - never reuse them.