How to Administer Insulin with a Syringe
Nurses from the Department of Specialty Nursing, Singapore General Hospital, a member of the SingHealth group, shows us the proper way of injecting insulin with a syringe.
To inject the insulin,
lift the skinfold using your thumb and index finger.
- Wash both your hands with soap and water.
- Dry your hands with a tissue paper or a hand towel.
- Select the injection site at the abdominal area.
- Cleanse the injection site with an alcohol swab.
- Wait for the alcohol to dry.
- Lift the skinfold using a thumb and the index finger.
- Inject insulin at 90 degrees perpendicular to the injection site.
- Inject the dose by pressing the circular tip all the way in at a steady speed.
- Withdraw the insulin syringe and apply light pressure on the injection site using a cotton wool swab/alcohol swab.
- Discard the used insulin syringe into a container (e.g. plastic bottle subsequently sealed with a cap) before disposing it into the rubbish bin.
How to store insulin vials
|
Insulin |
Storage |
Remarks |
|
Insulin in-use | At room temperature (max. approximately 25-30°C for 4 weeks. | Once the vial is in use, it need not be kept in a fridge. Label each vial with a date on the sticker. |
|
Brand new insulin | In the fridge at 2-8°C.
Do not store insulin in the freezer! | Insulin should be removed from the fridge at least 30 minutes before injecting. Always check the expiry date before using the insulin. |
Note: Each insulin vial is for single patient use only.
See previous page on
how to mix short-acting and intermediate-acting insulin.
Ref: O17
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