- 1). Wash your hands thoroughly and dry completely.
- 2). Load the syringe. If the medicine is in a powder form, read and follow the instructions in the "Tips" section for making it into a liquid. If the medicine is already a prepared liquid, remove the cap from the vial, wipe the rubber stopper with an alcohol wipe, remove the cover from the needle and insert the needle into the vial.
Holding the syringe in the hand you write with and the vial in your other hand, invert them so the vial is above the syringe and you can read the markings on the syringe. Keeping the tip of the needle below the liquid in the vial, pull back the plunger to fill the syringe with the proper dose of medicine. If you draw air into the syringe along with the medicine, tap the syringe to move the air to the bottom of the needle and push the plunger back up to force out the air.
When you have the correct dose loaded into the syringe, remove the needle from the vial, carefully slide the cover back onto the needle and set the syringe aside. If the medicine is in an ampule instead of a vial, wrap the neck end of the ampule with an alcohol wipe, hold the top and the neck in one hand and the bottom of the ampule in the other and break off the top. Carefully insert the needle into the neck of the ampule and pull back the plunger to load the syringe. Remove the needle from the ampule, hold the syringe with the needle upward, tap it to make any air bubbles rise, and push the plunger up to force out any air and extra medicine in the syringe. Slide the cover back over the needle and set the syringe aside. - 3). Prepare the injection area. If you wish to use latex gloves, put them on. Open an alcohol wipe. Hold the barrel of syringe between your first finger and thumb, letting it rest on your second finger, and remove the cover from the needle. With your free hand, use the alcohol wipe on the desired area of the upper arm, thigh, hip or rear end where you will give the shot. Let the alcohol air dry. Use your free hand to depress and slightly pull the skin just beside where you plan to inject the needle. Keep holding the skin with your free hand.
- 4). Place the needle at a 90-degree angle to the skin and guide it into the muscle. Hold the needle in place as you let go of the skin. Pull back the plunger a small amount to check for blood entering the syringe--a sign you have placed the needle into a blood vessel. If blood enters the syringe, remove and discard the syringe and repeat the previous steps with a new one. If no blood enters the syringe, inject the medicine by gently and steadily pushing down the plunger.
- 5). Remove the needle quickly at the same angle it went in. Cover the injection site with a bandage or gently press gauze onto it. Place the syringe and needle into a disposal container provided with the syringe or drop them into a hard plastic bottle with a screw-on lid.
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