New to giving yourself or a family member subcutaneous injections?
Have you just been prescribed a medication that you will be giving yourself or a family member? Let’s discuss uncomplicated ways to make sure you are comfortable and ready for the task. First thing to know… you can’t really mess it up if you are doing it in the right areas (Abdomen, Outer Thigh, or Upper Bicep).
Here are the quick steps to make sure the injection is quick and easy.
- Wash hands first! You are poking yourself and you won’t want germs
- It is a must to clean the area around where you are putting the injection. An alcohol wipe is the best choice (don’t use spit, which would be full of germs 🤢) wipe the area with the alcohol pad and let the area air dry for a few seconds
- Know the saying, pinch an inch? Yep, do that! Taking your thumb and index finger, “pinch” the skin gently. This is the area that will receive the medication – the perfect space (called the subcutaneous layer)
- Take the cap off from the end of the needle. Hold the syringe with your writing hand and let the barrel of the syringe rest on your second finger (like how you hold a writing pen or pencil). Insert the needle through the skin
- Once the needle is in all the way, push the plunger down slowly to move all of the contents under the skin. Then, after all of the liquid is dispersed, remove the needle at the same angle you went in
- Dispose of the syringe and needle properly. For information on how and where to safely dispose of needles in your area click here or to see if there is a mail-back or disposal service provided by the drug manufacturer, click here.
