Where do you give your heparin?

[miko014]

We had a discussion last night, and I was wondering if ya'll could give me some input. So where do you give your SQ heparin? (And don't say "in the pt's room" or "in the hospital", haha!) We were talking about acceptable injection sites, and there was quite a bit of argument. I'm not going to say anything about our debate until after I see what you guys have to say. Thanks!!!

[mpccrn, BSN, RN]

abdomin, below the umbilicus

[NeosynephRN]

yup in the abdomen...bellow the button

[RheatherN, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

belly, best absorbed.

-H-

[emnicams]

Belly. Never heard of doing it anywhere else. :)

[Bill E. Rubin]

.... unless the patient has had abdominal surgery in which case I've given it in the tissue under the arm (the fatty area under the tricep).

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

In the abdomen below the umbilicus.

[sjt9721, BSN, RN]

Lower abdomen.

Our rep always told us: "Lovenox in the lovehandles".

I also like the saying from another post: "Belly - below the button". :)

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

Have always given it abdominally except when I have a pregnant pt, then will give it in the lovehandles.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

Interesting conversation, because this has been an uproar for my hospital. When I was in nursing school clinical, once, I administered it in the arm, thinking that 'sub-q is sub-q'. My clinical instructor was right next to me and didn't say a thing. As a new grad, I had to do med-surg for 6 weeks before I went to my clinic in a permanent position. I administered heparin in the belly, primarily because their arms were filled with IVs and it was easier.

Then a year and a half later, a big thing came about with heparin because someone administered it in the arm, and untowards results incurred (not sure of what it was-but I pieces of stories where the arm had significant damage), and then, policies were coming out that stated it can only be administered in the belly, below the umbilicus. All of this was happening before I started my per diem assignment. Hearing about this from my med-surg nurse friends, I looked in my drug books and noticed that the only place ever listed was the belly and I said to myself "Holy cow!!"...because in clinical, technically, I was just plain careless, and the clinical instructor never corrected me. This taught me a lesson...to make sure that I look up a resource about any medication I don't know and the technique.

I could slap myself. It will never happen again! The belly it goes!!

[akvarmit]

My belly, below the belly button.

Except for the time I had a physician as a med-surg patient and he had HIS physician give us a written order to give his Heparin in his arms. Have never done it that way since.

[Antikigirl, ASN, RN]

LOL...I will repeat....gut with the best fat tissue! LOL! And man I am a heparin givers best friend! LOL!!!!!!!!! (gut meaning abdomen for you newbies that don't get old school speak! LOL). WIth hep...fast hard done....and for those using most of those thick blunters of a needle system...KEEP the bubble in there...don't take that out..that is the seal system..and sadly, it is part of the COST! UHHHHHHHHH where do I go to have a bubble cost!!!??????