How to Choose the Right Insulin Pen Needle or Syringe

When you reside with insulin-dependent diabetes and handle your blood sugars with an insulin pen or syringe, you’re most probably taking 2 or extra insulin pictures a day.

That’s a minimal of 730 instances a 12 months that you just’re piercing your pores and skin with a needle to do an injection.

I do much more than 2 injections a day. I’m nearer to 7 doses a day, which isn’t uncommon for individuals residing with diabetes. That’s 2,555 injections a 12 months!

I don’t thoughts and it doesn’t damage. However one of many major causes it doesn’t damage is that I take advantage of the precise needle, the precise injection approach, and I modify my needles incessantly.

On this article, you’ll learn to select the needle or syringe dimension that’s best for you to reduce ache, keep away from scar tissue buildup, and be certain that a full dose is obtained each time you inject.

What’s a pen needle?

Pen needles are needles that you just connect to a prefilled or sturdy pen so as to inject the remedy.

Frequent sorts of pen needles embody customary pen needles and security pen needles, with most individuals utilizing an ordinary pen needle.

You may watch this 1-minute video to see precisely what a pen needle is:

An ordinary pen needle has an outer cowl and a detachable inside needle cowl. Each should be eliminated earlier than insulin flows.

Sadly, on account of poor coaching, not everybody has been taught that it is advisable take away each covers. In keeping with the FDA, this has led to individuals ending up with severely elevated blood sugars and even hospitalizations. So bear in mind to take away each covers and visually be certain that insulin is flowing.

The protection needle is a bit of completely different. It has an outer cowl that’s eliminated earlier than injections, however the inside cowl isn’t eliminated. Once you push the security needle into your pores and skin, the inside cowl slides again to disclose the needle.

As a result of the inside cowl isn’t eliminated, it protects you towards by chance poking your self with the needle.

This sort of needle is right for those who’re terrified of needles (as you’ll by no means see the precise needle) or if there’s a concern that you just’ll by chance poke your self with the needle.

Pen needle sizes

Insulin pen needles can be found in several sizes from 4 mm to 12.7 mm in size (5/32 inch to ½ inch).

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Typically, the medical neighborhood leans in direction of using shorter needles, however you in the end must resolve which needle dimension is best for you.

Being prescribed an extended needle could make that preliminary insulin injection considerably daunting and may even impression your need to take your injections as prescribed.

If that’s the case, please attain out to your physician and request a unique needle, or for those who’re in a state that doesn’t require a prescription (extra on that later), buy a dimension that fits you on-line or at your native pharmacy.

How are you aware what dimension insulin needle to make use of?

Insulin and GLP-1s should be injected subcutaneously (into the fats between your pores and skin and your muscle) so it’s best to select a needle that permits you to try this the best.

On common, human pores and skin is 1.9–2.4 mm thick no matter physique dimension, gender, ethnicity, and BMI. Which means a brief 4- or 5-mm needle must be efficient for all physique sorts.

The Worldwide Scientific Advisory Board states that there isn’t a medical purpose to suggest a needle size longer than 8 mm. The board recommends 4-, 5-, and 6-mm needles for all grownup sufferers no matter their BMI.

That doesn’t imply you possibly can’t use an extended needle, however utilizing an extended needle can improve the possibilities of bruising, bleeding, and ache.

When utilizing an extended needle, you additionally threat injecting your insulin into the muscle (referred to as an intramuscular shot). If insulin is injected into the muscle as a substitute of the fatty tissue, absorption could be too speedy which might result in low blood sugars.

Though shorter needles are typically advisable, there are specific circumstances the place an extended needle could also be a greater possibility.

For instance, you might profit from utilizing an extended needle If in case you have coordination challenges from circumstances similar to arthritis or Parkinson’s illness.

Needle thickness – What’s the deal?

Needle thickness is measured in gauge (G) moderately than millimeters or inches. Pen needles are available 29 G to 32 G, and the upper the gauge, the thinner the needle.

The pen needle thickness is especially related for those who inject a considerable amount of insulin at a time, as you may want a needle with a decrease gauge that may permit extra insulin to circulation by means of sooner.

When to pinch the pores and skin

There are other ways of efficiently doing a subcutaneous injection and the precise approach comes all the way down to what size of needle you select.

In case your needle is 4 mm or 5 mm, you are able to do the injection at a 90-degree angle. Which means you don’t must pinch the pores and skin, and you are able to do the injection one-handed for those who like. This may be sensible for those who’re injecting into the arm, decrease again, or glutes.

Youngsters from 2 to six years outdated or extraordinarily lean adults may have to make use of a pinch-up approach no matter needle size.

When you go for a needle longer than 5 mm, it would be best to do the injection with a pinched-up skinfold or a 45-degree angle to keep away from intramuscular injection of insulin.

What about leakage issues associated to shorter needles?

Some individuals have raised the priority that quick needles will result in leakage (insulin not being absolutely injected) or that they aren’t appropriate for individuals with bigger our bodies.

That concern has been debunked and analysis has proven that shorter needles work for many physique sorts, with no extra leakage.

However for those who really feel extra comfy utilizing an extended needle, then it’s best to completely try this.

Learn how to get your pen needles or syringes

You may marvel if you should purchase pen needles over-the-counter, and the quick reply is that it relies upon.

In the US, prescription guidelines differ from state to state and in some states, you don’t want a prescription to purchase pen needles.

Nonetheless, for those who use your insurance coverage to pay to your needles, they could require a prescription. Attain out to your insurance coverage firm to study for those who want a prescription and in that case, how a lot your co-pay is.

There are additionally choices to purchase pen needles on-line with out a prescription, however which resolution is most cost-effective for you’ll rely in your insurance coverage.

Manufacturers providing pen needles both on-line or by means of a prescription:

How to decide on the precise insulin syringe?

Utilizing a syringe to your insulin injections remains to be essentially the most broadly used means of delivering insulin in the US.

A syringe is a hole plastic tube with a plunger inside and a brief skinny needle connected. It’s a must to use the syringe to attract the insulin out of a vial after which inject it.

You wish to select the precise syringe for the kind of insulin that you just use, and the very first thing to verify is that if the focus of your insulin matches the syringe.

It’s indicated on the syringe (in addition to on the packaging) what insulin focus the syringe is for. Insulin focus is measured in Items/mL and indicated as U-100, U-200, or U-500.

Ensure your syringe matches your insulin focus otherwise you may find yourself injecting the fallacious quantity of insulin.

Secondly, you wish to select the syringe dimension that’s applicable for you. When you use massive quantities of insulin at a time, you’ll wish to select a bigger syringe so that you just don’t have to chop your doses up in smaller quantities.

• 0.3 mL syringes are for doses beneath 30 items of insulin and are numbered at 1-unit intervals.
• 0.5 mL syringes are for doses of 30 to 50 items of insulin and are numbered at 1-unit intervals.
• 1.0 mL syringes are for doses of greater than 50 items of insulin and are numbered at 2-units intervals.

Lastly, you wish to think about which dimension needle is suitable for you. Simply as with pen needles, shorter needles sizes are typically advisable.

You may get syringes with needles so long as 12.7 mm (1/2”) lengthy however the shortest syringe needle size out there is 6 mm (15/64”) x 31G.

Good injection observes

Selecting the needle or syringe that works for you is necessary, however injections can be extra comfy with much less threat of ache or leakage for those who additionally bear in mind to:

1. Change needle each time.
2. Select the precise injection website and rotate your websites.
3. Don’t jab the needle in
4. Maintain it in for 5-8 sec to scale back the danger of leakage.

When you select the precise needle dimension and observe good injection practices, injecting insulin ought to hardly ever be painful. If you find yourself accomplished along with your pen needle or syringe, please bear in mind to eliminate them safely.