Yes, it's drilled into our heads in nursing school, and it's even printed right on the syringe -for U-100 unsulin only- but does anyone ever use insulin syringes for other SQ meds?
Let me explain my rationale:
Pt. needs 1mL of heparin SQ. Smallest needle available is 25g 5/8".
Giving it is a difficult task considering the small sub Q layer some of these tiny ladies have. Also quite a painful jab. 100 units of insulin=1ml, correct? So just draw up to 100 units, and spare the pt. quite a bit of trauma by using a smaller needle. Similarly if the dose is 0.5ml, use the line for 50 units.
Please don't flame me for not going "by the book". I would however appreciate any solid reasons why this is or is not a good practice. Is there something I'm missing here?
Specializes in SICU, EMS, Home Health, School Nursing.
Some Insulin syringes, like the ones we have at the hospital I work at, have both units and mL listed. Some patients would rather us use the insulin syringes for SQ injections because for some reason those needles hurt a little less. I am thinking they are a little bit smaller, but I have never really paid that much attention to them. I generally grab a TB syringe for non insulin SQ injections though.
Most of our SQs come from pharmacy in prefilled TB syringes. I've seen insulin syringes used to draw up very small amounts of medication and then added to the 10mL syringe of NS.
Christie RN2006
572 Posts
Some Insulin syringes, like the ones we have at the hospital I work at, have both units and mL listed. Some patients would rather us use the insulin syringes for SQ injections because for some reason those needles hurt a little less. I am thinking they are a little bit smaller, but I have never really paid that much attention to them. I generally grab a TB syringe for non insulin SQ injections though.