In the life of even the most healthy person, a moment may come when he needs to give himself an injection. In this case, it is best to resort to the help of professionals, but such an opportunity is not always available.
This article will talk about how an ordinary layman can give himself an injection at home without putting his life at risk.
Injection preparation
It should immediately stipulate where to put an intramuscular injection.
Great options for this will be places with a large accumulation of muscle mass.
These are areas such as:
• Buttock muscle
• The outer thigh
• Shoulder and deltoid muscles
In this article, we will consider only an injection into the gluteal muscle, but this instruction can also be applied to injections in the shoulder, delta or thigh. If the place after the injection hurts, it was chosen poorly, or the injection was delivered with violations of technology.
It is extremely important to prepare well for the upcoming operation, since this moment without proper attention can cause significant damage.
First things first, you need to prepare the tools
• Capacity — needed to store tools. It should be well disinfected - wash with soap and rub with alcohol (or any other antiseptic);
• Ampoule with a solution of the drug- the ampoule from which we will draw the drug into the syringe;
• Ampoule with solvent- the ampoule in which the solvent for the dry matter of the drug is located. Accordingly, it is needed only if the administered drug is in dry form;
• Syringe- three-component, the right amount. It is important to consider the volume of the drug. If the drug is in dry form - you must also rely on the volume of solvent;
• Gloves- are needed to disinfect both you and the person who gives you the injection;
• Extra needle - It is needed only if the drug needs to be diluted. About it further;
• Antiseptic- one of the most important tools. It will ensure the disinfection of the container and all instruments, as well as the area into which the injection is made;
• Cotton pad - soaked in 96% alcohol. Need to disinfect the area in which the injection is made.
Injection procedure
Important!
Wash your hands as often as possible if you decide to work without gloves! Hands should be washed before collecting the instrument, immediately before and after the injection.
If you used gloves (which is certainly more true), they must be absolutely sterile. To do this, treat them with an antiseptic.
In any case, before putting on the gloves and after removing them, you should also wash your hands.
When everything you need is prepared, you can begin the procedure.
To do this, position yourself so that you are comfortable.
The person who gives you an injection should also take a position in which his movements do not hamper anything (if you give yourself an injection yourself, it is better to choose a place for an injection that you will be comfortable to reach).
Important! The safest injection position is supine. If the patient is standing during an injection, a needle fracture may occur due to unforeseen muscle contraction!
An injection in the buttock - for such an injection, you should feel the buttock for a seal. Next, you should mentally divide the buttock into four quarters, and choose the upper part closest to you;
Now fill the syringe with the drug. This operation has two developments.
List of actions if the drug solution is in the ampoule:
1. Check the expiration date of the drug. Even if you recently bought it, vigilance will not hurt;
2. Treat the vial with an antiseptic;
3. Tap on the top of the ampoule so that the entire preparation is at the bottom. So you make room for opening;
4. File the tip of the ampoule with a small file (not a knife), so you grind off the walls. After that, gently and stubbornly move away from yourself, break off the tip;
5. After the preparation of the syringe, push all the air out of it, by turning the syringe with the needle up and gradually pressing. Squeeze until a drop of the drug forms at the end of the needle.
If the preparation is dry, the algorithm is replenished with new steps:
1. Check the expiration date of the drug. Even if you recently bought it, vigilance will not hurt;
2. Treat ampoules with solvent and antiseptic;
3. File the tip of the ampoule with solvent with a small file. After that, with a stubborn movement away from you, break off the tip;
4. Pour the solvent into the syringe;
5. Pierce the rubber cap of the ampoule with the syringe with a syringe and release the solvent there;
6. Without removing the syringe needle, shake the ampoule to mix the drug and solvent;
7. The resulting solution of the drug type in a syringe;
8. Replace the needle in the syringe, as the previously used needle is now not sharp enough.
9. After putting the drug into the syringe, push all the air out of it by turning the syringe with the needle up and gradually pressing it. Squeeze until a drop of the drug forms at the end of the needle.
It's time to learn how to give an injection at home.
To do this correctly, clearly follow the instructions:
1. Take a syringe into your lead arm by placing the other hand in the patient’s buttock with your thumb away. The place between your thumb and forefinger is the place where the shot will be placed. So you fix the skin area;
Attention! If the injection is given to a child or an extremely exhausted patient, it is recommended to collect the skin at the injection site in a crease.
On the contrary, if the patient is overweight, the skin at the injection site should be stretched by hand.
2. Make a gentle hand swing with a syringe. In this case, the syringe must be held with all fingers. Insert the needle sharply at right angles to the skin. Insert the needle sharply and the entire length. The deeper the injection is made, the faster it will reach the target.
3. With your left hand, hold the syringe near the injection site to lock the syringe. With the thumb of your right hand, gradually administer the drug. The slower you do it, the more painless the injection will go.
4. After administration of the drug, attach the alcoholized cotton wool to the injection site and pull out the syringe with a confident, slow motion. At the end, disinfect the injection site with a cotton swab.
Watch the introductory video: how to inject yourself.
Tips & Precautions
• After the operationsyringe and ampoule should be disposed ofso that they could not get children.
• You must enteronly the drug that was prescribed to the patient by the doctor. Any medicine has its contraindications, and the use of drugs contraindicated to the patient can lead to serious negative consequences.
• If the patient needs several injections, it is betterdo not inject in the same place. The best option would be to alternate the zones in which the injection is placed.
• Is alwayswatch for sterility tools used, especially syringes. Never use syringes a second time.
• If you have an abilityput an injection in the hospital - better to do it. You can well give an injection, guided by our article “How to give an injection at home,” but if you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to play it safe.
• If you can use the help of friends or relatives - use it. It’s more difficult to give yourself an injection than if your fearless friend does it!
If a lump appears after the injection, this should not be ignored.
That's all!
Now you know how you can give yourself an injection at home without harming yourself.
Be healthy!
