How to
Draw and give the dose.
The usual order. Not a sterile lab, and not a substitute for someone showing you the first time.
- 1
Read the vial before the syringe
Name, concentration, and date. If it is cloudy in a way the label did not warn you about, or it is past the date, do not draw it. Match the units on the screen to this vial.
- 2
Swab the stopper again
Every draw gets a new swab. Let it dry. Recap nothing that has already been used.
- 3
Draw to the line
Pull air equal to the dose, push that air into the vial, invert it, and draw a little past the mark. Tap bubbles to the top and push them back in until the plunger sits on the line. On a U-100 syringe, 10 units is 0.1 mL.
- 4
Hold it at eye level
The top of the rubber stopper is the number, not the bottom. If you are between marks, push back to the mark you calculated. Do not round up.
- 5
Pick a site and rotate
Abdomen, thigh, or another site you were shown, at least a finger-width from the last one. Swab the skin and let it dry. A log of sites is how you avoid using the same spot every day.
- 6
Go in slowly
Subcutaneous shots are usually at 45 to 90 degrees, pinched or flat depending on how you were shown. Push the plunger slowly. Pause a second, then withdraw and press with a clean swab. Do not rub hard.
- 7
Sharps, then the log
Needle goes straight into the sharps container. No recapping. Log the draw so the remaining volume and the calendar stay honest.
Educational steps only. Not medical advice. Match every number to the vial in your hand, and stop if something looks off.