How to Draw Up Insulin in a Syringe

Insulin is a hormone used by the body to convert food into energy. Diabetes is a condition in which the body does not produce enough insulin or fails to effectively use the insulin it produces. As part of their prescribed insulin therapy program, many diabetes patients regularly give themselves insulin injections. Familiarize yourself with the correct way of drawing up insulin in a syringe before giving yourself an injection for the first time.

Things You'll Need

• Syringe
• Insulin
• Rubbing alcohol
• Cotton ball or pad

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Instructions

• 1

  Remove the syringe's plastic cap and take off any exterior packaging. Remove the needle cap from the syringe and set it aside.

• 2

  Use a pad saturated with alcohol to sanitize the top of the insulin bottle before inserting the syringe into it. Do not touch the top of the bottle once you have sanitized it.

• 3

  Pull down the plunger until its dark end reaches the number corresponding to the number of insulin units that you require. Small lines and numbers mark the syringe's barrel, where the space between each line is typically equal to one unit. The spaces on 100-unit syringes are equal to two units.

• 4

  Hold the plunger in your dominant hand and the barrel of the syringe in your non-dominant hand. Place the needle gently through the rubber stopper on the insulin bottle. Press the syringe's plunger all the way down. Doing so will pump air into the bottle and facilitate insulin retrieval.

• 5

  Flip the insulin bottle upside down--without removing the syringe. At this point, the insulin bottle should be positioned between the middle and index fingers of your non-dominant hand; your dominant hand should still on the plunger. Pull the plunger down until it reaches the required number of insulin units.

• 6

  Check for any air bubbles inside the syringe. While there are no dangers associated with the bubbles, they will cause you to receive less insulin then intended. To eliminate bubbles, use the tip of the index finger of your non-dominant hand to gently tap the syringe, which will move the bubbles to the top. Push the plunger up several units; as you do so, the bubbles should move into the insulin bottle. Finish by pulling the plunger back down to the mark corresponding to the required insulin amount. Repeat this step if more bubbles appear.

• 7

  Slide the needle gently out of the insulin bottle.