Please critique my injection techniques

Guzzler said:

May I ask a silly question, please? Is priming the pen done to ensure that there is an unobtructed flow of insulin or to expel any air bubbles or both?

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urbanracer said:

I would say both. The latter is more important on MDI because the correct dose for food is needed. For some people, 1/2 a unit of rapid acting, either way can make a big difference to the outcome.

The OP is using a mixed insulin so I would argue that small dosing errors are less of an issue, and as a past user I never understood how accurate mixing takes place when you just roll the pen between your fingers a few times anyway.

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Sugar High said:

If the needle was clogged or defective so that nothing was coming out, wouldn't I be able to tell that? On my pen, the plunger moves as the insulin is ejected.

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Sugar High said:

I have been on insulin for a few weeks. I have listened to the advice from my doc and read quite a bit both here and elsewhere about injection techniques. I would appreciate any comments on my procedure.

I am using the Humulin N Kwik Pen.

1. Wash the injection area with alcohol.
2. Remove the pen cap and dip the tip in alcohol.
3. Gently roll the pen between my hands 10 times then gently rotate the tip up and down 10 times to thoroughly mix the contents.
4. Prime the pen. I have found with my pen that a setting of “1” produces a few droplets, even if done repeatedly. A setting of “2” produces a strong stream, which seems like a waste. Therefore, my plan is to not prime and then set the pen at 1 unit above the recommended dosage.
   
5. Gently pinch the skin to thicken the fat layer and decrease the chances of injecting into muscle.
6. When doing the injection, do not push the base of the needle into the skin to decrease the chances of injecting into muscle.
7. Attach the needle, complete the injection, and immediately remove the needle and discard. While the needle is attached, air can get into the chamber, which can reduce the accuracy of the dosage.
8. Wash the injection area with alcohol.

I do all of my injections in my stomach. Since I take a blood glucose reading just before every injection, I use a 10-point rotation scheme that matches what I use for my finger pricks. I use the left hand in the morning and the same finger on the right in the evening. If the rotation calls for me to use finger #3 of the left hand, then I will inject in location #3 on the left side of my stomach.

Does anyone have any comments or suggestions?

I am especially interested in the pen priming. I was told to set the pen to "2" and inject into the air to prime the pen. That's whjat I have been doing, but it seems like a waste. This stuff is expensive!

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