PREPARING THE INJECTION

STEP 1:
Fit a green (21gauge) needle to your syringe.

STEP2:
If using a multi-use vial to withdraw from, draw into the syringe a volume of air equal to the amount of liquid you will be injecting.
If you are withdrawing from an amupule, disregard this step and step 3.

STEP 3:
'Inject' the volume of air that is in the syringe into the multi-use vial so pressure is being created inside the vial.

STEP 4:
Making sure the tip of the needle is inside the liquid, pull the plunger back until the syringe fills up with the required amount of liquid to be injected.

STEP 5:
Change the green 21gauge needle with the needle that you will use to perform the injection with:

23gauge 1.25 inch for intramuscular injection into the glutes

25gauge 1 inch for intramuscular injection into the deltoids, trapezius, biceps, triceps and quadriceps

26gauge 0.5 inch for intramuscular injection into the abdominals, calves, pectorals, biceps and triceps

30gauge 0.5 inch for sub-cutaneous injections

STEP 6:
Expel all air bubbles out of the syringe

STEP 7:
Inject using a fast dart-like motion. The faster the needle goes in, the less it hurts.

STEP 8:
Once the needle is all the way inside the body, aspirate by pulling the plunger back.

If blood enters the syringe, it means the needle is inside a vein. Pull the needle out and choose another location.

If no blood enters the syringe, start injecting the liquid. The slower you inject, the less chance of scar tissue and bolus forming exists.

STEP 9:
After you have injected all of the liquid pull the needle out fast and apply pressure on the injection site with a tissue.

STEP 10:
Massage the injection location in order to assist the liquid dissipating.
Do not massage so hard that a bruise forms.

STEP 11:
Dispose of used needles and syringes thoughtfully.