Last Updated on Saturday, 08 August 2009 12:16

Ensuring the best technique

Injecting sounds daunting. In fact, it’s far easier than you think. After the first week or two, it just becomes part of your routine.

Once you’re familiar with your pen, you’ll just need to learn:

• How to inject correctly
• The best places to inject around your body
• When to inject through the day

Injecting correctly

The body is covered with skin. Underneath there’s a layer of fat (subcutaneous tissue). Below that is a layer of muscle.

To be absorbed properly, the dose needs to be injected into the subcutaneous tissue just under the skin. If the needle goes deeper, the dose may go into the muscle.

An intramuscular injection accelerates your insulin absorption which can cause hypoglycaemia.

Your nurse might have asked you to inject using a skin fold, if so, here’s a reminder how.

1. In a suitable area take a fold of skin between the thumb, index and middle finger. Only lift the skin – NOT the muscle below it.

2. With your pen prepared for the injection, push the needle all the way into the skin fold. Proceed with your injection.

3. The grip on the skin should be maintained throughout the injection. Remove the needle slowly, releasing the skin at the same time.

Types of insulin

All insulins lower blood glucose levels. However different types work at different speeds. Some types are injected once a day, others twice and others several times a day.

By understanding you and your lifestyle, your doctor will choose the best insulin regime for you. You may be prescribed:

• Fast acting insulin
• Longer acting insulin

• Pre-mixed insulin

Safe, secure needle disposal

You’ll need to dispose of used needles responsibly. A ‘sharps box’ is a special clearly labelled container designed to keep discarded needles safe. Follow local guidelines for safe disposal.

Choosing Areas For Injection

There are four areas on your body that are generally used for injecting: thighs, arms abdomen and buttocks.

You need to be able to reach them easily, and be comfortable making your injection. Talk to your nurse or doctor about the sites that are best for you.

The four best sites to inject: Your abdomen, thighs...

...buttocks and arms. Only inject in the arms if advised by your nurse.

Only use a needle once!

Needles get damaged when they are used. ALWAYS remove the needle after each injection. Otherwise the needle can bend making the injection painful and you could end up with nasty lumps and bumps.

Rule 1:

Always ROTATE between sites consistently. For your insulin to work correctly and to predict the effect of a given dose it’s important to always inject in the same area at the same time of the day.

Let’s say you need 3 injections a day. You might start with a morning injection in your arm. Then a lunchtime injection in your abdomen. And lastly an evening injection in your thigh or buttock.

It is equally important to alternate between the left and right sides equivalent areas – e.g. left thigh, right thigh.

Rule 2:

DON’T inject in exactly the same point each time When it’s time to use an area to inject again, choose a different spot within the area. If you imagine a grid drawn on the skin, you’re aiming to move on a finger’s width from the last injection point.

If you don’t rotate, the area may harden and then your insulin absorption will be erratic. Its effectiveness to control your blood glucose will become unpredictable.

Please note

If injecting incretin hormone it is equally important to rotate between injection sites and within injection sites.

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