How to Administer an Injection from a Vial
Check your medicine., Prepare the powder medicine (skip this step if you have liquid medicine)., Get the vial ready., Get the syringe ready., Insert the syringe into the vial., Take the medicine from the vial., Remove air bubbles., Remove the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Check your medicine.
Serious complications can usually occur if you don't choose the correct medicine.
Make sure you have the correct:
Date on the label.
Nothing expired is to be used.
The name of the medicine should be correct.
Check for foreign particles in medicine as well as change in color, and texture. -
Step 2: Prepare the powder medicine (skip this step if you have liquid medicine).
Read instructions to see how much powder you have to mix  with liquid to use one dose.
Continue to follow the instructions until it it has transformed to liquid medicine. , Take the cap off of the vial.
Wipe the rubber top with an alcohol pad. , You will use the syringe to give the injection.
With the cap on, pull back the plunger on the syringe to the amount of medicine you want to use.
This will allow you to suck air into the syringe.
Take off the cap and dispose of it into the hazard container. , Perform this while the vial is faced straight upright.
Push needle straight into rubber top without bending the needle.
Press the plunger into the vial to release the air into it. , Perform this while the vial is flipped upside down.
Keep syringe in vial.
Pull back plunger to the required amount of medicine needed. , Keep the syringe inside the medicine vial while doing this step.
Tap the syringe to expose the air bubbles to surface of syringe.
Push plunger with minimum pressure to release air bubbles.
Make sure you did not reduce amount of medicine needed. , If the vial has no more medicine, you may throw it away in the disposable hazard container , Injections are usually placed into the subcutaneous layer of your body.
This layer is between your skin and your muscles.
Look to inject the needle into the abdomen, thighs, or back of arms.
Find an area with good amount of fat to release your medicine into.
The location preferred by most nurses is the back of the arms since it is the easiest to access and it contains a good amount of fat.
You can choose other areas if you have already performed on the back of the arms recently. , You do this by pinching the skin and determining how much fat you have in that area.
Some areas have more fat than other areas.
It is advised that you inject the area with the most fat.
Some people do not have areas with much fat.
If about 2 inches or more fat is present when pinched, place the needle perpendicular to the skin.
This is about 90 degrees to the skin.
If less than 2 inches of fat is present, you may need to adjust your angle of insertion to about 45 degrees. , Some people are usually scared and start to shake as the needle is approaching.
You may want to comfort them before injecting them.
The steps of the injection include:
Rub the alcohol pad to clean the desired area for injection.
Pinch the area with your hand as mentioned in the previous step.
With your other hand, thrust the needle at an angle determined by the previous step into the area.
This is done by a quick motion of your wrist. , This is the part we have all been waiting for.
This step should take a little more than a few seconds.
You have now inserted the needle into the skin and are ready to give the injection.
While the needle is in the skin, make sure the plunger has not been pushed or damaged.
If so, take the needle out and alert your primary physician.
Push the plunger to release all the medicine into the body.
Take the needle out and place an alcohol pad on top of the skin to take care of any blood.
Do not be alarmed if there is any blood since you are getting injected into your hypodermis.
Veins and arteries are present there but you will not bleed for more than a few seconds.
Keep pressure on the area of injection with the alcohol pad until there is no blood coming out anymore. , Make sure the container says "Sharps" on it.
This is the appropriate hazard container. -
Step 3: Get the vial ready.
-
Step 4: Get the syringe ready.
-
Step 5: Insert the syringe into the vial.
-
Step 6: Take the medicine from the vial.
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Step 7: Remove air bubbles.
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Step 8: Remove the syringe from the vial.
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Step 9: Locate an area for injection.
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Step 10: Determine what angle you have to push in the needle.
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Step 11: Put the needle in the desired area.
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Step 12: Inject the medicine.
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Step 13: Throw the syringe in the hazard container as well as any vial you have left open.
Detailed Guide
Serious complications can usually occur if you don't choose the correct medicine.
Make sure you have the correct:
Date on the label.
Nothing expired is to be used.
The name of the medicine should be correct.
Check for foreign particles in medicine as well as change in color, and texture.
Read instructions to see how much powder you have to mix  with liquid to use one dose.
Continue to follow the instructions until it it has transformed to liquid medicine. , Take the cap off of the vial.
Wipe the rubber top with an alcohol pad. , You will use the syringe to give the injection.
With the cap on, pull back the plunger on the syringe to the amount of medicine you want to use.
This will allow you to suck air into the syringe.
Take off the cap and dispose of it into the hazard container. , Perform this while the vial is faced straight upright.
Push needle straight into rubber top without bending the needle.
Press the plunger into the vial to release the air into it. , Perform this while the vial is flipped upside down.
Keep syringe in vial.
Pull back plunger to the required amount of medicine needed. , Keep the syringe inside the medicine vial while doing this step.
Tap the syringe to expose the air bubbles to surface of syringe.
Push plunger with minimum pressure to release air bubbles.
Make sure you did not reduce amount of medicine needed. , If the vial has no more medicine, you may throw it away in the disposable hazard container , Injections are usually placed into the subcutaneous layer of your body.
This layer is between your skin and your muscles.
Look to inject the needle into the abdomen, thighs, or back of arms.
Find an area with good amount of fat to release your medicine into.
The location preferred by most nurses is the back of the arms since it is the easiest to access and it contains a good amount of fat.
You can choose other areas if you have already performed on the back of the arms recently. , You do this by pinching the skin and determining how much fat you have in that area.
Some areas have more fat than other areas.
It is advised that you inject the area with the most fat.
Some people do not have areas with much fat.
If about 2 inches or more fat is present when pinched, place the needle perpendicular to the skin.
This is about 90 degrees to the skin.
If less than 2 inches of fat is present, you may need to adjust your angle of insertion to about 45 degrees. , Some people are usually scared and start to shake as the needle is approaching.
You may want to comfort them before injecting them.
The steps of the injection include:
Rub the alcohol pad to clean the desired area for injection.
Pinch the area with your hand as mentioned in the previous step.
With your other hand, thrust the needle at an angle determined by the previous step into the area.
This is done by a quick motion of your wrist. , This is the part we have all been waiting for.
This step should take a little more than a few seconds.
You have now inserted the needle into the skin and are ready to give the injection.
While the needle is in the skin, make sure the plunger has not been pushed or damaged.
If so, take the needle out and alert your primary physician.
Push the plunger to release all the medicine into the body.
Take the needle out and place an alcohol pad on top of the skin to take care of any blood.
Do not be alarmed if there is any blood since you are getting injected into your hypodermis.
Veins and arteries are present there but you will not bleed for more than a few seconds.
Keep pressure on the area of injection with the alcohol pad until there is no blood coming out anymore. , Make sure the container says "Sharps" on it.
This is the appropriate hazard container.
About the Author
Dennis Gordon
Writer and educator with a focus on practical lifestyle knowledge.
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