Patient was educated on how to administer an insulin shot as follows:
- Insulin should be administered into the fat layer of the skin for it to get absorbed slowly and act.
- Choose sites where you have fat deposition for administration of insulin, such as, the abdomen, back of the upper arms, the upper buttocks or hips, and the outer side of the thighs. These usually are sites, where one has some fat deposition.
- Have your shot away from any sites of skin with scars and sites that are bruised.
- Maintain a diary for the site of administration, so that, site of administration can be altered.
- Make sure that the site you administer the insulin shot is clean and dry.
- Pinch the skin at the selected site and insert the needle in at an angle. If the fat layer is thick enough, you can insert the needle straight down.
- Insert the needle all the way into the skin and release the pinched skin. Inject the insulin slowly and steadily until the entire dose is in.
- Leave the syringe in place for 2 seconds after injecting.
- Pull the needle out and discard the needle into a sharps container.
- Never reuse needles or syringes.
