Giving Insulin

cannoli · Nov 24, 2003

What size needle is on an insulin syringe? Is it a 25 gauge?

DustinRN · Nov 24, 2003

Is this a trick question? My answer to your question is hold the insulin if the BS levels are stable and call your supervisor. And if you had to use a needle I would pick a 27 gauge needle.

PS-I originally thought you can't use a regular syringe to administer insulin, but I guess since most insulin comes 100U/ml that you could possibly give insulin with a 1cc syringe if you were in immediate need of giving the patient insulin. Although I would strongly advise against doing so.

Rustyhammer · Nov 24, 2003

Hmmm....this insulin syringe?

Was it run over by the pts power W/C?

Perhaps it was faulty in some other way?

-R

Trauma Tom · Nov 24, 2003

Sandra,

I assume this is may be a trick question, one never knows for sure during nursing school, so choose your answer carefully. When I answer questions like these I always try to quote textbooks, because it is hard to find fault with your answer if you reference nursing books in you rationale. According to page 31 in the sixth addition of Clinical Drug Therapy, Rationales for Nursing Practice by Anne Collins Abrams under the sub topic of equipment for injections; under the topic for Routes of administration, "choice of needle gauge and length depends upon on the route of administration, the viscosity of the solution to be given, and the size of the client. Usually, a 25-gauge 3/8-inch needle is used for SC injections.....insulin syringes are calibrated to measure up to 100 units of insulin. Safe practice indicates that only insulin syringes be used to measure insulin and that they be used for no other drugs." My guess here is that they want you to state that you would not use any other syringe for the injection of insulin except the insulin syringe. They have set a trap and are waiting to see who swallows the bait. I may be wrong, but if you answer including what is normal for SC injections along with the warnings for insulin, I do not think they can fail you with a reference from a nursing text, unless of course you are going to my alma mater. There whatever the warden says, rules, references or not. Good luck.

PMHNP10 · Nov 24, 2003

Quote

Is this a joke?

It must be. If it's sliding scale, that'd mean the pt would have a accucheck of 1100. The answer is...call 911, initiate CPR.

tapper · Nov 24, 2003

I say you're cheating and should be expelled from school. They are testing your knowledge, not that of those who read this board. How would you feel if you did use one of the answers given to you by cheating and it was wrong . . . then you would be a cheater and a failure. Suck it up and figure it out yourself.

PMHNP10 · Nov 24, 2003

I think that might be a bit harsh. It is a take home test. Perhaps the student is allowed to use any resource available.

TraumaNurse · Nov 24, 2003

I would say that you should get another insulin syringe because the textbook answer would be that you should never draw up or administer insulin in any other syringe than an insulin syringe. In the real world, a 25 or 27 guage needle is appropriate for SQ administration.

jnette, ASN, EMT-I · Nov 24, 2003

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I think that might be a bit harsh. It is a take home test. Perhaps the student is allowed to use any resource available.

Agree.

My question is, however... where did the actual question STOP ?

Where it says the insulin syringe breaks?

If so, then, yes, the answer would be to obtain a new insulin syringe (if available).

You will need an insulin syringe to draw up the 50 units of insulin. I'm with Tom on this one. Follow the "book".

But if you are hypothetically just asking about what other needle one might use, then a 3/8 " needle, 25-27 gauge would be appropriate.

DixieGirl_81 · Nov 24, 2003

Tapper, I think your words were a little harsh and uncalled for. The student was simply asking for help and other nurse's opinions, not an answer.

CCU NRS · Nov 24, 2003

Originally posted by psychrn03
It must be. If it's sliding scale, that'd mean the pt would have a accucheck of 1100. The answer is...call 911, initiate CPR.

I have had Pts that recieve 50nit of NPH as a regularly daily dose so I would not assume a Glucose of 1100. I agree with Trauma Tom

I assume this is may be a trick question, one never knows for sure during nursing school, so choose your answer carefully. When I answer questions like these I always try to quote textbooks, because it is hard to find fault with your answer if you reference nursing books in you rationale. According to page 31 in the sixth addition of Clinical Drug Therapy, Rationales for Nursing Practice by Anne Collins Abrams under the sub topic of equipment for injections; under the topic for Routes of administration, "choice of needle gauge and length depends upon on the route of administration, the viscosity of the solution to be given, and the size of the client. Usually, a 25-gauge 3/8-inch needle is used for SC injections.....insulin syringes are calibrated to measure up to 100 units of insulin. Safe practice indicates that only insulin syringes be used to measure insulin and that they be used for no other drugs." This must be correct because all literature states never give Insulin with anything other than an Insulin syringe

Good Luck and I don't believe its cheating but I do beleive you could or should have come up with this on your own.