Patient/caregiver was instructed upon guidelines for insulin injection site rotation as follows:
Following the guidelines below can help promote healing of previous injection sites, reduce the incidence of lipodystrophy changes in the skin, and thus prevent chance for compromised insulin absorption & action.
- Choosing a new site for every insulin administration by moving at least one finger breadth from the site of previous insulin administration can immensely help prevent development of lipodystrophy. Changing the insulin needle for every administration can also contribute to prevention of lipodystrophy.
- Moving one finger breadth away from previous injection site for every insulin administration and limiting to one body part every week can offer enough sites for insulin administration. Do not use the same site for insulin administration more than once in every four weeks.
- For example, choose the abdomen for this week and plot out a 5cm area around the umbilicus into which injecting insulin is avoided, owing to risk for poor absorption. Plot out a circular area, out of this 5 cm area around the umbilicus. Inject insulin along the line of this circular area and measure out 1 finger breadth away from previous administration on every insulin intake. Confine to this abdominal region for this week. Next week, you can move to another site, such as, upper and outer right thigh or upper and outer right hip, and confine to the area for that week. The following week, you can move to another site, such as, upper and outer left thigh or upper and outer left hip, and confine to the area for that week. The week next, you can move to upper and outer left arm and stay confined to the area for that week. The following week, you can move to upper and outer right arm and stay confined to the area for that week. By this time, the initial site of insulin administration, your abdomen, could have healed completely and be ready to receive the insulin shots for the week following.
- Maintaining a diary or log of the sites of insulin administration can help an easy recall of the sites used. By changing the site of insulin administration, every time the medication is administered, you are offering your skin an opportunity to heal.
