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

Relax

Relaxing the pinched skin
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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 ReviewerE. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine

Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine

Specialist Medical ReviewerDavid C.W. Lau, MD, PhD, FRCPC - Endocrinology

Rhonda O'Brien, MS, RD, CDE - Certified Diabetes Educator

Current as ofMarch 13, 2017

Current as of: March 13, 2017

Author: Healthwise Staff

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