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Giving an Insulin Injection Into the Arm

Clean

Cleaning the area around the injection site
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slide 1 of 6, Clean,

Clean the area of skin where you will give the injection. If you use alcohol to clean the skin, let it dry. Remove the cap from the syringe.

Pinch up

Pinching up the skin
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slide 2 of 6, Pinch up,

Using your knee, push up the back of your arm to create a "pinched-up" area.

Stick it

Putting the needle into the skin
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slide 3 of 6, Stick it,

Push the needle all the way into the pinched-up area.

Relax

Relaxing the pinched skin
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slide 4 of 6, Relax,

Lower your knee slightly so that the back of your arm is no longer pinched up.

Inject and wait

Pushing in the plunger
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slide 5 of 6, Inject and wait,

Push the plunger of the syringe all the way in. Count to five before taking the needle out.

Needle safety

Throwing away the needle in a solid plastic container
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slide 6 of 6, Needle safety,

Throw away the needle in a sharps container or other solid plastic container. You can get a sharps container at your pharmacy.

ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer David C.W. Lau, MD, PhD, FRCPC - Endocrinology
Rhonda O'Brien, MS, RD, CDE - Certified Diabetes Educator

Current as ofDecember 7, 2017

Current as of: December 7, 2017

Author: Healthwise Staff

Medical Review: E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine & Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine & David C.W. Lau, MD, PhD, FRCPC - Endocrinology & Rhonda O'Brien, MS, RD, CDE - Certified Diabetes Educator