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 slightly so that the back of your arm is no longer pinched up.
Inject and wait
Push the plunger of the syringe all the way in. Count to five before taking the needle out.
Needle safety
Throw away the needle in a sharps container or other solid plastic container. You can get a sharps container at your pharmacy.
Last Revised: October 1, 2010
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: John Pope, MD - Pediatrics & David C.W. Lau, MD, PhD, FRCPC - Endocrinology
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