Diabetes mellitus occurs when the pancreas malfunctions, when it begins to produce an insufficient amount of insulin for the needs of the body or completely stops its production. As a result, diabetes mellitus of the second or first type develops. In the latter case, to resume all metabolic processes, it is necessary to introduce insulin from the outside. The hormone is injected with an insulin syringe, which will be discussed in this article.
Types of syringes used in diabetes
In the second type of diabetes, the pancreas is still able to produce its own hormone, and to help produce it, the patient takes medications in tablets. But patients with this diagnosis of the first type must always have insulin with them in order to carry out the necessary therapy. This can be done with:
- pump;
- pen syringe;
- special syringes.
All these products are produced by different companies, and they have different prices. insulin syringesare of two types:
- With a removable needle, which is changed after taking the drug from the vial to another to inject it into the patient.
- With built-in needle. The kit and injection are made with one needle, which saves the amount of the drug.
Syringe description
The medical device for insulin is made so that the patient can self-administer the necessary hormone several times a day. A standard insulin syringe consists of:
- A sharp short needle with a protective cap. The length of the needle is from 12 to 16 mm, its diameter is up to 0.4 mm.
- Transparent plastic barrel with special markings.
- The movable plunger ensures insulin collection and smooth drug delivery.
Regardless of the manufacturer, the body of the syringe is made thin and long. This makes it possible to significantly reduce the division price on the case. Labeling with a small division price allows the drug to be administered to children with type 1 diabetes and people with hypersensitivity to the drug. A standard 1 ml insulin syringe contains 40 units of insulin.
Reusable syringe with replaceable needle
Insulin syringes are made of durable and high quality plastic. They are made by both Russian and foreign manufacturers. They have replaceable needles, which are protected during storage with a special cap. The syringe is sterile and must be destroyed after use. But subject to all hygiene standardsthe insulin syringe with a removable needle can be used repeatedly.
For the introduction of insulin, the most convenient syringes are with a division price of one unit, and for children - at 0.5 units. When purchasing syringes in the pharmacy chain, you should carefully look at their markup.
There are devices for different concentrations of insulin solution - 40 and 100 units in one milliliter. In Russia, insulin U-40 is still used, which contains 40 units of the drug in 1 ml. The cost of a syringe depends on the volume and manufacturer.
How to choose the right insulin syringe?
Pharmacy chains offer many different models of insulin injection devices from different manufacturers. To select a high-quality insulin syringe, the photo of which is available in the article, you can use the following criteria:
- large indelible scale on the case;
- fixed (integrated) needles;
- silicone coating of the needle and laser triple sharpening (minimize pain);
- piston and cylinder must be latex-free for hypoallergenicity;
- small division step;
- minor needle length and thickness;
- Patients with low vision are comfortable using a syringe with a magnifying glass.
The cost of disposable insulin syringes is higher than conventional ones, but this is justified by the fact that they allow you to administer the required dose with great accuracy.
Labeling medical devices for insulin administration
Vials of insulin,presented in the pharmacy chains of Russia, as a standard contain 40 units of the substance in one milliliter of solution. The bottle is labeled as follows: U-40.
For the convenience of patients, syringes are graduated according to the concentration in the vial, so the marking strip on their surface corresponds to units of insulin, not milligrams.
In a syringe marked for U-40 concentration, the marks correspond to:
- 20 IU - 0.5 ml solution;
- 10 U - 0.25 ml;
- 1 U - 0.025 ml.
In most countries, solutions containing 100 units of insulin per ml are used. It is marked as U-100. This insulin is 2.5 times the standard concentration (100:40=2.5).
Therefore, in order to find out how many units of U-100 solution to fill the U-40 insulin syringe, their number should be reduced by 2.5 times. After all, the dose of the drug remains unchanged, and its volume decreases due to the greater concentration.
If it is necessary to inject insulin with a concentration of U-100 with an appropriate syringe for U-100, then you should remember: 40 units of insulin will be contained in 0.4 ml of solution. To eliminate confusion, manufacturers of U-100 syringes have chosen to make protective caps in orange, and U-40 in red.
Insulin pen
Syringe pen - a special device that allows you to inject insulin subcutaneously in patients with diabetes.
Outwardly, it resembles an ink pen and consists of:
- slot where the insulin cartridge is placed;
- fixing the container device in position;
- dispenser that automatically measures the required volume of solution for injection;
- start buttons;
- informative panel on the device case;
- replaceable needle with protective cap;
- plastic case for storing and transporting the device.
Advantages and disadvantages of the pen
When using the device, no special skills are required, just read the instructions. Benefits of an insulin pen include:
- does not cause discomfort to the patient;
- takes up very little space and fits in a breast pocket;
- compact but roomy cartridge;
- variety of models, the possibility of individual selection;
- the dose of the drug can be set by the sound of clicks of the dosing device.
The disadvantages of the device are:
- unreality of setting a small dose of the drug;
- great value;
- fragile and low reliability.
User Requirements
For long-term and effective use of the syringe pen, you must follow the manufacturer's advice:
- Storage temperature is about 20 degrees.
- Insulin contained in the cartridge of the device can be contained in it for no more than 28 days. After the expiration of time, it will be disposed of.
- The device must be protected from direct sunlight.
- Protect the syringe penfrom dust and high humidity.
- Cover the used needles with a cap and place them in a container for used materials.
- Keep the pen in its original case only.
- Wipe the outside of the device with a soft, damp cloth before use. Make sure that after that there are no lint left on it.
Syringe needles
Patients with diabetes have to do a large number of injections, so they pay special attention to the length and sharpness of the needles for the insulin syringe. These two parameters affect the correct injection of the drug into the subcutaneous tissue, as well as the sensation of pain. It is recommended to use needles, the length of which varies from 4 to 8 mm, the thickness of such needles is also negligible. The standard for a needle is considered to be a thickness of 0.33 mm.
The criteria for choosing the length of the needle for the syringe are as follows:
- obese adults - 4-6mm;
- insulin beginners - up to 4 mm;
- children and teenagers - 4-5 mm.
Insulin-dependent patients often use the same needle repeatedly. This contributes to the formation of minor microtrauma and thickening of the skin, which subsequently leads to complications and incorrect insulin administration.
Drug kit in syringe
How to dial an insulin syringe? To do this, you need to know the dose that you want to enter the patient.
For a set of medication you need:
- Release the needle from the protective cap.
- Pull out the plunger of the syringe until the marks correspondingthe required dose of the drug.
- Insert the syringe into the vial and press down on the plunger so that there is no air left in it.
- Turn the vial upside down and hold it in your left hand.
- Slowly retract the piston with your right hand to the required division.
- If air bubbles enter the syringe, knock on it without removing the needle from the vial and without lowering it down. Squeeze out the air inside the bottle and get more insulin if necessary.
- Carefully pull the needle out of the vial.
- The insulin syringe is ready for injection.
Do not let the needle come into contact with foreign objects and hands!
Where is insulin injected into the body?
Several areas of the body are used to inject the hormone:
- belly;
- thigh front;
- outside shoulders;
- buttocks.
It must be remembered that insulin injected into different parts of the body reaches its destination at different rates:
- The drug works most quickly when it is injected into the abdomen. It is best to inject short-acting insulins in this area before eating.
- Injections with a long duration of action are injected into the buttocks or thighs.
- Doctors do not recommend injecting yourself into your own shoulder, because it is difficult to form a wrinkle, and there is a risk of intramuscular injection of the drug, which is dangerous to he alth.
For daily injections, it is better to choose new injection sites so that there is no hesitationblood sugar levels. Each time it is necessary to retreat from the site of the previous injection by about two centimeters so that skin seals do not occur and the absorption of the drug is not disturbed.
How is the drug administered?
Every diabetic should master the technique of injecting insulin. How soon the drug is absorbed depends on the place of its introduction. This must be taken into account.
Always remember that insulin is injected into the subcutaneous fat layer. In a patient of normal body weight, subcutaneous tissue is thin. In this case, it is necessary to make a skin fold during the injection, otherwise the drug will enter the muscle and there will be a sharp change in the level of glucose in the blood. To avoid this error, it is better to use shortened insulin needles. They also have a small diameter.
How to use the insulin syringe?
It must be remembered that the hormone is injected into fatty tissue, and the most favorable injection sites are the abdomen, arms and legs. It is recommended to use plastic syringes with built-in needles so as not to lose some of the drug. Syringes are often reused and can be done with proper hygiene.
In order to make an injection, you need:
- Make room for the injection, but do not wipe it with alcohol.
- Use the thumb and forefinger of the left hand to form a fold of skin to prevent insulin from entering the muscle tissue.
- Insert the needle under the fold for the full length perpendicularly or at an angle of 45 degrees, depending on the length of the needle, skin thickness and locationinjection.
- Press the piston all the way and do not remove the needle for five seconds.
- Pull out the needle and let go of the skin fold.
Put the syringe and needle into the container. If the needle is used repeatedly, it may cause pain due to the curvature of its tip.
Conclusion
Patients with type 1 diabetes are constantly in need of an artificial insulin substitute. For this, special syringes are most often used, which have a thin short needle and convenient markings not in millimeters, but in units of the drug, which is very convenient for the patient. Products are freely sold in the pharmacy network, and each patient can purchase a syringe for the volume of the drug he needs from any manufacturer. In addition to the syringe, pumps and syringe pens are used. Each patient chooses the device that suits him best in terms of practicality, convenience and cost.
