Insulin Administration

[chemdawg, MSN]

Nursing Students reported that a nurse drawing insulin for a client, had removed one unit too much, therefore they re injected the needle into the vial and returned it. I am trying to link to a site or article that shows best practice.

Our conversation did talk about the possibility of cross-contamination, how insulin should be properly disposed of, and the dulling of the needle. As this is only one unit and I have seen nurses just eject it out of the syringe (not place it back into the vial). How have you seen it done at your facility for 1,3,or 5 units? Is it written in a hospital policy. I will reference the CDC's drawing up medication policy when we revisit this topic.

[rn_patrick, NP]

It's been a while but everywhere I have worked you waste it in the sink.

The real risk is contaminating the whole bottle with something and not catching it.

[rac1, ASN, BSN, RN]

I would have wasted it in the Drugbuster bottle two feet from the Pyxis. And yes - those insulin needles become dull very quickly! I usually just waste the entire product and get a new needle if I have already removed the needle from the bottle. I have poked someone with a dull needle from reinserting into the bottle, and it is not awesome.

[chemdawg, MSN]

Thanks for the input!

[MJJFan1, BSN, RN]

Try Mosby’s nursing skills

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

as the parent of 2 T1s, and I give a LOT of SQ insulin, I would have just squirted the excess out. One unit is nothing. As far as "dulling" of a needle LOL tell my teenagers that use their lancet for a week. We don't do shots or pens anymore (insulin pumps). Other than peds, not sure how dull a needle can get from reintroducing it into a vial.