Question about Sub-Q injections

[Jedi of Zen]

I should probably know this already, but my question is this:

In my lecture notes on giving sub-q injections, part of the instructions include "do not aspirate". I'm wondering: does that mean not to aspirate before drawing up the medication, or not to aspirate once you've already injected the needle into the skin (ie, as you would do with an IM injection)? Or both? I can't find this clarified anywhere in any of my books. (I've been trying to find the answer ever since last semester.) And I'm kind of afraid to ask any of my teachers...don't want my head to get bitten off...

[Jedi of Zen]

Thanks to all for the replies.

My instructors use the term "aspirate" when referring to pulling back on the plunger and then injecting air into the vial when drawing up meds. (I assume the point is that you're "aspirating air".) They also use aspirate when referring to the IM method of checking for blood.

I'm still not sure what my prof meant about the need to "aspirate insulin". I guess I'll just have to ask her. She doesn't seem to like answering questions, though, which is why I wanted to explore it here first.

Thanks again to all.

[Bec717]

We were taught to only aspirate for an IM injection since there is a rich blood supply in the muscle and you want to make sure you have not enter a vessel.

SubQ's as much as I understand do not require any aspiration due to being in the SubQ layer.

Before you draw any meds you would need to aspirate or pull air into the syringe to push air into the vial and form the vacuum to draw the meds out~

[Bec717]

Are you talking about mixing insulin? In that case you would aspirate air and then place it in he first vial but not draw, aspirate air for 2nd vial, draw, and then back to the first. You don't won't to contaminate or mix the rapid insulin at all~