Using a Syringe: Best Practice and Safety Guide

Do you have someone in need of medications via injection?

Using a syringe properly is something everyone must learn. After all, the fear of needles also applies to those with no knowledge of administering shots during emergencies.

Are you looking to learn how to administer syringes? Our guide can help. Continue reading below for needle guidelines and best practices to follow.

Prepare Everything You Need

Using a syringe goes beyond the needle. Prepare your essential tools for administering the injection. Clean your table and lay out the following:

  • Sealed disposable syringe
  • Cotton balls
  • Bandages
  • Alcohol wipes
  • The drug you wish to inject

If you need to extract blood samples, visit www.chromtech.com for quality syringe filters. Wear a pair of clean, disposable gloves to boost your syringe safety.

The Pre-Draw

Read the drug’s instructions three times. Be careful when administering medicine with precise dosages. Ensure your syringe has enough capacity to accommodate it.

Pick an injection site depending on the type of injection. Heparin and insulin shots work best on areas where the fatty layer lies beneath the skin. Examples include the lower belly, the back of the arms, the thighs, and the sides of the body.

When picking a spot, ensure it is at least an inch away from the patient’s last injection. This rotating method will keep it from bruising or developing a lump.

Open the drug vial and disinfect the rubber top with an alcohol wipe. Let the vial cap air dry for a few seconds.

After that, open your sealed needle and syringe. Handle with utmost care and never let anything unsterilized touch the implements.

Drawing a Dose Using a Syringe

Avoiding sharp injures is another aspect to cover. Remove the needle cap slowly with a firm pull outward. Pull its plunger to the necessary and insert the needle into the vial’s rubber diaphragm.

Gently push down the plunger until no air remains in the syringe. It increases the air pressure inside the vial, helping you draw the proper dose easier. Hold the needle in one hand and the vial on the other.

Hold up the vial and turn it upside down in the air. Do it without pulling the needle out. Draw the dose by pulling the plunger toward you until it reaches the necessary amount.

Remove the needle and flick the side of the syringe to aspirate it.

Administer the Shot

Disinfect the injection site using an alcohol-soaked cotton ball. Pinch the flesh spot and stick the needle at a 90-degree angle for insulin shots. Slowly push the plunger down to administer the drug.

Remove the needle and throw it immediately in the wastebasket. Never reuse syringes to avoid serious infections. Cover the injection site with a dry cotton ball.

Increase Your Syringe Safety Now

Using a syringe properly will keep everyone safe. The patient gets the proper dosage without worrying about any infections from the injection.

Are you looking for more helpful guides? Please consider reading our other posts today.