
BrokenBliss
Invisible. Apparently.
- Jan 11, 2022
- 522
is the needle supposed to be inserted at an angle like this? and do you know if it is supposed to be a "blunt" needle or a different kind?
@lmon -- Here are my tips. I worked in health care and also have hands-on experience giving myself IM injections. I am giving you detailed info in anticipation of your questions. Hopefully I cover them all:
- You will want the highest gauge number you can get. The higher the gauge, the smaller the diameter of the needle (meaning, thinner). Smaller size/larger gauge equals smaller hole poked into the rubber stopper. Try for 30 or higher. I use 25 for my IM injections.
- Do not use a blunt needle. You will want a "tapered" (sharp) one. Most syringes are already this.
- Prior to inserting the needle, push the plunger of the syringe all the way up, with pressure, to push the air out of the tube. This is the important step to make sure you do not introduce air inside the bottle. Do not pull the plunger back down until you are performing the liquid extraction.
- It does not matter if you poke the needle thru straight or at an angle. That's just about facility of technique for reasons that we don't need to get into for what we're doing.
- If, while you are extracting the liquid, you notice an air pocket or bubble forming inside the syringe tube, do NOT push it back into the bottle. Since you are not going to be injecting this into your body, having a little air in the syringe is unimportant. However, it is of extreme importance to not introduce air into your bottle. So just let it be if this happens.
- You don't need much liquid for a barb test by strip dip. Extract approx. 1 - 1½ ml from the bottle. The numbers are right on the syringe tube. Remember to turn the bottle upside down. I recommend doing this prior to injecting the needle to minimize issues with air. The needle should not go above the liquid line to reach the air pocket above it. (Tho, this is extremely unlikely to happen due to the amount of liquid in the bottle.)
- Reminder: At no point – once the needle is inside the bottle – should you push up on the syringe plunger. Doing so could unintentionally introduce air into the bottle.
Let me know if I missed anything for you.
EDIT: Remember to swipe the top of the vial with alcohol before you insert your needle. You can use an alcohol prep pad or cotton ball. Also do not touch the needle itself. You want to keep things sterile so you do not introduce any contaminants into the solution.
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