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Direction for Use: Preparing Insulin Syringes

Before injecting insulin, prepare the syringe by following these simple steps:

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  • Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
  • If you use cloudy insulin, gently roll the vial between your hands 10 times to mix, then gently invert the vial (from top to bottom) 10 times until the suspension becomes milky white
  • Remove the vial cap and clean the rubber top with an alcohol swab. Let dry.
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Technique for mixed insulin syringes:
  • Uncap the needle. Draw the same volume of air as the volume of long-acting insulin you need to inject and inject it into the long-acting insulin vial. Remove the needle without drawing insulin.
  • Draw the same volume of air as the volume of short-acting insulin you need to inject and inject it into the short-acting insulin vial. Invert the vial and draw the volume of short-acting insulin you need.
  • Draw the volume of long-acting insulin you need, making sure not to push the plunger.
Technique for (single) insulin syringes:
  • Uncap the needle. Draw the same volume of air as the volume of insulin you need to inject.
  • Stick the needle through the rubber top of the vial and slowly inject the air into the vial.
  • Turn the vial upside down and slowly pull on the plunger until you draw the correct volume of insulin. Make sure that the needle is always in the insulin. Remove the needle from the vial and recap it immediately.
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  • If there are air bubbles in the syringe: Hold the syringe in a vertical position with the needle pointing upward. Gently tap a finger against the barrel of the syringe to get the bubbles to rise to the top. Slowly push in the plunger until all the bubbles have disappeared.

  • Preferred injection sites are the abdomen (particularly), thighs and top of the buttocks. Rotating injection sites and injection points is recommended.
  • Clean the injection site with soap and water. If an alcohol pad is used (e.g., at the hospital), allow the skin to dry before proceeding with the injection.
  • Inject the insulin and wait 5 seconds before removing the needle from the skin.

It should be noted that certain types of insulin cannot be mixed together and cannot be prepared ahead to time for future use. Check with your pharmacist. Needles and syringes should only be used once and then thrown away since they may be dirty and blunt. Always use a sharps (disposal) container to safely discard used syringes and needles. Return the container to the pharmacy when it is full.

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The patient information leaflets are provided by Vigilance Santé Inc. This content is for information purposes only and does not in any manner whatsoever replace the opinion or advice of your health care professional. Always consult a health care professional before making a decision about your medication or treatment.

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