What does it mean to prepare and give an insulin injection?
Insulin for injection comes in small glass bottles (vials) and cartridges; both are sealed with a rubber lid. One bottle or cartridge contains many doses. To remove a dose of insulin from: • A bottle: You will use an insulin syringe. You will also use the syringe to inject the insulin. • A cartridge: You will use a pen-shaped device called an insulin pen. The cartridge fits inside the pen and the dose of insulin is set with a dial on the outside of the pen. The pen (with the cartridge inside) is used to give the medication. Both disposable and reusable insulin pens are available. Each pen operates slightly differently. Note: If you are using an insulin pen, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or diabetes educator about how to use the pen properly. Giving insulin with these pens is not covered in this information. To give an insulin injection, you insert the needle (attached to the syringe) into your skin. Push the plunger to inject the medicine into the fatty tissue just below the skin.
