Giving an insulin injection into the arm

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 Using your knee, push up the back of your arm to create a “pinched-up” area. Stick it Push the needle all the way into the pinched-up area. Relax Lower your knee…

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Giving an insulin injection into the arm

Clean

slide 1 of 6

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

slide 2 of 6

slide 2 of 6, Pinch up,

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

Stick it

slide 3 of 6

slide 3 of 6, Stick it,

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

Relax

slide 4 of 6

slide 4 of 6, Relax,

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

Inject and wait

slide 5 of 6

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

slide 6 of 6

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.

Current as ofApril 16, 2019

Author: Healthwise Staff
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