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Articles: General practical aspects of injecting
Apart from the specific technique of injecting, there are a
few general rules that you should keep in mind.
Expiry dates
Check the expiry dates of each item including the drug.
Drug
Make sure that the vial or ampoule contains the right drug
in the right strength.
Sterility
During the whole preparation procedure, material should be
kept sterile.
Wash your hands before starting to prepare the injection.
Disinfect the skin over the injection site.
No bubbles
Make sure that there are no air bubbles left in the
syringe.
This is more important in intravenous injections.
Prudence
Once the protective cover of the needle is removed extra
care is needed.
Do not touch anything with the unprotected needle.
Once the injection has been given take care not to prick
yourself or somebody else.
Waste
Make sure that contaminated waste is disposed of safely.
Aspirating from a vial
Materials needed
Vial with required drug or solution, syringe of the
appropriate size, needle of right size (im, sc, or iv) on
syringe, disinfectant, gauze.
Technique
Wash your hands.
Disinfect the top of the vial.
Use a syringe with a volume of twice the required amount of
drug or solution and add the needle.
Suck up as much air as the amount of solution needed to
aspirate.
Insert needle into (top of) vial and turn upside-down.
Pump air into vial (creating pressure).
Aspirate the required amount of solution and 0.1 ml extra.
Make sure the tip of the needle is below the fluid surface.
Pull the needle out of the vial.
Remove possible air from the syringe.
Clean up; dispose of waste safely; wash your hands.
Step 4Step 5Step 8
Aspirating from ampoules
(glass, plastic)
Materials needed
Syringe of appropriate size, needle of required size, ampoule
with required drug or solution, gauze.
Technique
Wash your hands.
Put the needle on the syringe.
Remove the liquid from the neck of the ampoule by flicking
it or swinging it fast in a downward spiraling movement.
File around the neck of the ampoule.
Protect your fingers with gauze if ampoule is made of glass.
Carefully break off the top of the ampoule (for a plastic
ampoule twist the top).
Aspirate the fluid from the ampoule.
Remove any air from the syringe.
Clean up; dispose of working needle safely; wash your hands.
Step 4Step 5Step 6
Intramuscular injection
Materials needed
Syringe with the drug to be administered (without air), needle
(Gauss 22, long and medium thickness; on syringe), liquid
disinfectant, cotton wool, adhesive tape.
Technique
Wash your hands.
Reassure yourself / patient's for procedure.
Uncover the area to be injected (lateral upper quadrant
major gluteal muscle, lateral side of upper leg, deltoid
muscle).
Disinfect the skin.
Relax the muscle.
Insert the needle swiftly at an angle of 90 degrees (watch
depth!).
Aspirate briefly; if blood appears, withdraw needle. Replace
it with a new one, if possible, and start again from point
4.
Inject slowly (less painful).
Withdraw needle swiftly.
Press sterile cotton wool onto the opening. Fix with
adhesive tape.
Check yourself / patient's reaction and give additional
reassurance, if necessary.
Clean up; dispose of waste safely; wash your hands.
Step 4Step 5Step 6
Site Injection
Site injecting is not for the faint at heart. Doctors do not
recommend this process, due the possibilities of hitting
nerves and arteries. The most common site injection areas are
the bicep, triceps, deltoid, traps and calves. Although the
calve area is reported to be extremely painful. Some advanced
bodybuilders have reported being bed ridden due to calf
injections.
Precautions:
Wash your hands.
Reassure yourself / patient's for procedure.
Disinfect the skin.
Relax the muscle.
Avoid veins
Insert the needle swiftly at an angle of 90 degrees (watch
depth!).
Aspirate briefly; if blood appears, withdraw needle. Replace
it with a new one, if possible, and start again from point
4.
Inject slowly (less painful).
Withdraw needle swiftly.
Press sterile cotton wool onto the opening. Fix with
adhesive tape.
Check yourself / patient's reaction and give additional
reassurance, if necessary.
Clean up; dispose of waste safely; wash your hands.
Apart from the specific technique of injecting, there are a
few general rules that you should keep in mind.
Expiry dates
Check the expiry dates of each item including the drug.
Drug
Make sure that the vial or ampoule contains the right drug
in the right strength.
Sterility
During the whole preparation procedure, material should be
kept sterile.
Wash your hands before starting to prepare the injection.
Disinfect the skin over the injection site.
No bubbles
Make sure that there are no air bubbles left in the
syringe.
This is more important in intravenous injections.
Prudence
Once the protective cover of the needle is removed extra
care is needed.
Do not touch anything with the unprotected needle.
Once the injection has been given take care not to prick
yourself or somebody else.
Waste
Make sure that contaminated waste is disposed of safely.
Aspirating from a vial
Materials needed
Vial with required drug or solution, syringe of the
appropriate size, needle of right size (im, sc, or iv) on
syringe, disinfectant, gauze.
Technique
Wash your hands.
Disinfect the top of the vial.
Use a syringe with a volume of twice the required amount of
drug or solution and add the needle.
Suck up as much air as the amount of solution needed to
aspirate.
Insert needle into (top of) vial and turn upside-down.
Pump air into vial (creating pressure).
Aspirate the required amount of solution and 0.1 ml extra.
Make sure the tip of the needle is below the fluid surface.
Pull the needle out of the vial.
Remove possible air from the syringe.
Clean up; dispose of waste safely; wash your hands.
Step 4Step 5Step 8
Aspirating from ampoules
(glass, plastic)
Materials needed
Syringe of appropriate size, needle of required size, ampoule
with required drug or solution, gauze.
Technique
Wash your hands.
Put the needle on the syringe.
Remove the liquid from the neck of the ampoule by flicking
it or swinging it fast in a downward spiraling movement.
File around the neck of the ampoule.
Protect your fingers with gauze if ampoule is made of glass.
Carefully break off the top of the ampoule (for a plastic
ampoule twist the top).
Aspirate the fluid from the ampoule.
Remove any air from the syringe.
Clean up; dispose of working needle safely; wash your hands.
Step 4Step 5Step 6
Intramuscular injection
Materials needed
Syringe with the drug to be administered (without air), needle
(Gauss 22, long and medium thickness; on syringe), liquid
disinfectant, cotton wool, adhesive tape.
Technique
Wash your hands.
Reassure yourself / patient's for procedure.
Uncover the area to be injected (lateral upper quadrant
major gluteal muscle, lateral side of upper leg, deltoid
muscle).
Disinfect the skin.
Relax the muscle.
Insert the needle swiftly at an angle of 90 degrees (watch
depth!).
Aspirate briefly; if blood appears, withdraw needle. Replace
it with a new one, if possible, and start again from point
4.
Inject slowly (less painful).
Withdraw needle swiftly.
Press sterile cotton wool onto the opening. Fix with
adhesive tape.
Check yourself / patient's reaction and give additional
reassurance, if necessary.
Clean up; dispose of waste safely; wash your hands.
Step 4Step 5Step 6
Site Injection
Site injecting is not for the faint at heart. Doctors do not
recommend this process, due the possibilities of hitting
nerves and arteries. The most common site injection areas are
the bicep, triceps, deltoid, traps and calves. Although the
calve area is reported to be extremely painful. Some advanced
bodybuilders have reported being bed ridden due to calf
injections.
Precautions:
Wash your hands.
Reassure yourself / patient's for procedure.
Disinfect the skin.
Relax the muscle.
Avoid veins
Insert the needle swiftly at an angle of 90 degrees (watch
depth!).
Aspirate briefly; if blood appears, withdraw needle. Replace
it with a new one, if possible, and start again from point
4.
Inject slowly (less painful).
Withdraw needle swiftly.
Press sterile cotton wool onto the opening. Fix with
adhesive tape.
Check yourself / patient's reaction and give additional
reassurance, if necessary.
Clean up; dispose of waste safely; wash your hands.