Question about using an Insulin Syringe to measure mls

[Twinkles2]

Hello,

I have a question about syringes. I keep getting different answers to the same question in work.

I am a Hospice nurse, so, in turn I administer a lot of morphine injections. We have 1ml luer lock syringes which we use all the time. Then someone pulled out some insulin syringes stating units on the barrell and told us that we can use these to measure up our morphine doses which we measure in mls. Can you use these syringes for measurements in mls? Someone who knows the true answer, please help.

[talaxandra]

My hospital only intermittantly stocks regular 1ml syringes, so for volumes less than a whole ml, particularly when a small difference is important (like a morph dose) we routinely use insulin syringes. Morphine 5mg, supplied as 10ml/ml? No problem - that's half a ml or the equivalent of 50 units.

I think they don't use mls on the syringe because the insulin is prescribed in units and some idiot could easily given 5ml instead of 5 units - which a couple of junior nurses tried to do here several years ago. At least having specific syringes, graduated in units, reduces that risk.

[Twinkles2]

Well, if .33mls is 33 units, then I guess we could use the 1ml sryinges..that equal 100units? I think I have that right........from what you are saying. I will bring it up again in work and maybe we can use up these 1ml /100u insulin syringes.

[leslie :-D]

this is really, very basic math, twinkles.

if you have mso4 10mg/ml, and your pt is getting 5mg, you'd give 50 units.

if your pt was getting 15 mg, then no, you would not want to use a 100u insulin syringe.

leslie

[Twinkles2]

Hi Leslie,

Thank you for your reply. I realize that 5mg would be easy to measure. We don't always give that amount. From our 15mg/ml vials, our measurements are many times, .33mls, or .66mls. Can this be measured safely in units, are there divisions on the barrell for anything past .(a whole number?) We mostly use 15mg/ml vials, not the 10mg/ml anyways. So, what I am asking is ie: can .33mls be coverted safely into units, and what and where would it be on the syringe? Thanks.

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

0.33mg 1mL 100 units

______ X _____ X _______ = 2.2 units

1 15mg 1mL

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

0.33mg 1mL 100 units

______ X _____ X _______ = 2.2 units

1 15mg 1mL

That's what I meant.

[Twinkles2]

I have to get a sample of the syringe at my desk before I post much more, but it is not .33mg I was trying to convert. It is .33mls which equals 5 mg from a 15mg/ml vial. Thanks

[morte, LPN, LVN]

Hi Leslie,

Thank you for your reply. I realize that 5mg would be easy to measure. We don't always give that amount. From our 15mg/ml vials, our measurements are many times, .33mls, or .66mls. Can this be measured safely in units, are there divisions on the barrell for anything past .(a whole number?) We mostly use 15mg/ml vials, not the 10mg/ml anyways. So, what I am asking is ie: can .33mls be coverted safely into units, and what and where would it be on the syringe? Thanks.

the dose should ALWAYS be in mgs, not mls.......33 mls is simply 33 units.......

tell the powers that be that you want 10/1 solution and make things easier all around

[leslie :-D]

the dose should ALWAYS be in mgs, not mls.......33 mls is simply 33 units.......

tell the powers that be that you want 10/1 solution and make things easier all around

exactly...

5 mg would be .33 ml, or 33 units.

and a 100u insulin syringe is calibrated with whole numbers, and 10 calibrated increments inbetw ea number.

so yes, it is readily measurable.

leslie