A sterile dose of your medication (usually in a small, labeled vial). A suitable syringe with a sterile needle tip. Depending on the size of your patient and the amount of medication to be administered, you may choose to use one of the following configurations or another safe, sterile means of injection: A 0. 5 or 1 cc syringe with a 27-gauge needle A pre-filled, disposable syringe A container for safely disposing of your syringe, such as an empty plastic milk container. Tape over the lid to secure it after putting a syringe inside and then dispose of the container. A sterile gauze pad (usually 2 x 2 inches) A sterile adhesive bandage (note - make sure the patient is not allergic to the adhesive, as can lead to irritation near the wound) A clean towel
Note - some medication vials contain only a single dose, while some contain enough medication for multiple doses. Ensure you have enough medication to administer the recommended dose before continuing. Heparin subcutaneous injections often come in pre-filled syringes, so it will be easier to administer the medication.
Arrange your supplies on the towel in the order you will need them. Note: You can make a small tear on the edge of your alcohol wipe packages (one that doesn’t puncture the inner pocket containing the alcohol wipe) to make them easier to quickly open when you need them.
The fatty part of the tricep on the side and back of the arm between the elbow and shoulder. The fatty part of the leg on the outside front portion of the thigh between the hips/groin and knee. The fatty part of the frontal abdomen below the ribs, above the hips, and not directly adjacent to the belly button. Use 3 fingers placed under the belly button to find the location. Note: It’s important to rotate injection sites, as repeated injections into the same location can cause scarring and hardening of the fatty tissue, making future injections more difficult and interfering with absorption of the medication.
Before wiping, if necessary, expose the area of the body where the injection will be given by moving any clothing, jewelry, etc. away. This will not only make it easier to give the injection without obstruction, but also reduce the risk of infection from un-sterilized clothing coming into contact with the injection wound before it’s bandaged. If, at this point, you discover the skin at the injection site you’ve chosen is irritated, bruised, discolored, or distressed in any other way, pick a different site.
Be sure to wash methodically, ensuring all the surfaces of your hands receive soap and water. [2] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source Studies have shown that the vast majority of adults don’t wash their hands well enough to kill all of the bacteria. [3] X Research source Wear a clean pair of gloves if possible.
Note - if you are using a pre-filled syringe, skip this step.
Though, at this point, you shouldn’t have removed the syringe’s cap, handle it carefully regardless.
You are now holding a small but extremely sharp needle - handle it with caution, never carelessly gesturing or making sudden movements with it. Note - if you are using a pre-filled syringe, skip to the next section.
This may not be necessary depending on the thickness of the medication.
You may need to tap the sides of your syringe to force air bubbles to the top, then expel the air bubbles by gently pressing the plunger, forcing the air bubbles back into the medication vial.
When gathering your skin, do not gather any muscle tissue. You should be able to feel the difference between the soft upper fat layer and firmer, lower muscle tissue. Subcutaneous medications are not intended for injection into the muscle and, if administered into muscle, may result in bleeding into the muscle tissue. This is especially true if the medication has blood-thinning properties. However, the needles used for a subcutaneous injection are usually too small to hit the muscle, so this should not be a problem.
Act quickly and firmly, but without jamming or stabbing the needle into the patient with excessive force.
