Insulin syringe question

OzNurse69 · Dec 4, 2002

I always use an insulin syringe with units marked on it rather than mls....much more difficult to make a mistake. Sounds like this Dr was in a big hurry, which increases the chances of a med error - & if you had to get a syringe to give the pt their insulin, & the insulin syringes are right next to the 1ml syringes (as they are in every place I have ever worked), please have him tell me how it would save time not using an insulin syringe??

Shevalove · Dec 4, 2002

We only use insulin syringes too. I was taught in school to have all insulin double checked with another nurse, but I am THE ONLY NURSE .... So I just check and double check myself.

emily_mom · Dec 4, 2002

We only use syringes. His rushed attitude creates errors, in which you would be responsible.

CMERN · Dec 4, 2002

Use Insulin Syringe......Id rather waste time than WASTE a life...DOC :rolleyes:

Audreyfay · Dec 4, 2002

Holy Cats! Of all the crazy things!

Let's think about this. If you were to give 8 units, we all use U100 insulin (100 units/cc). That means you would have to try to measure out 8/100 of a cc. Show me a syringe that can measure that???? Even if one used a TB syringe, perhaps one could "somewhat" safely measure that. However, a TB syringe uses a 25 gauge needle. And insulin syringe is usually a 29 gauge needle. Which one would you rather get?

I hope you discussed this with your nurse manager also? That MD needs to know the error he could be instigating. What did you do? :eek:

Pretzlgl · Dec 4, 2002

Thanks all - I am going to speak with my NM tomorrow. This was by no means any emergent situation that couldn't have waited 30 seconds to get the right syringe. Sometimes doctors just p**s me off!

JonRN · Dec 4, 2002

I woulda handed him the syringe and the insulin and said here, you give it, or allow me enough time to get a proper syringe. Then, if he chose to draw it up and give it, I would have documented it on the pt's chart.

renerian, BSN, RN · Dec 4, 2002

Never heard or was taught to do it any other way........

renerian

sharann, BSN, RN · Dec 5, 2002

Originally posted by JonRN
I woulda handed him the syringe and the insulin and said here, you give it, or allow me enough time to get a proper syringe. Then, if he chose to draw it up and give it, I would have documented it on the pt's chart.

Exactly!

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Dec 5, 2002

I don't get it. With a 1cc syringe marked off in 1/100ths of a mL and a U-100 insulin...you should be able to give insulin with that syringe. I remember learning insulin injection when we had U-40 insulins, and then it was the conversion to mLs that caused all the mistakes. Now we don't need to convert so what is the source of the errors?

RN2B2005 · Dec 5, 2002

In veterinary practise, we almost always used a 1 cc syringe when giving U-100 insulin injections in-house (diabetes is remarkably common in cats). I think it's because the needles were longer than those on the insulin syringes,

making it easier to deliver the insulin IM rather than SQ. Not sure, though, and when owners gave at-home insulin, we always instructed them using insulin syringes.

Haven't been taught yet how to give insulin to humans, but I'd have to go with everyone else on this one--give the insulin using the insulin syringe, to CYA.