How to give a subcutaneous injection and best places

Subcutaneous injection is a technique in which a medicine is administered, with a needle, into the adipose layer that is under the skin, that is, in the body fat, mainly in the abdominal region.

This is the ideal type of technique for administering some injectable drugs at home, as it is easy to apply, allows for a gradual release of the drug and also has less health risks when compared to intramuscular injection.

Subcutaneous injection is almost always used to administer insulin or, then, to apply enoxaparin at home, being a recurrent practice after surgery or during the treatment of problems that have arisen from a clot, such as stroke or deep vein thrombosis, for example.

How to give the injection correctly

The technique for giving a subcutaneous injection is reactively simple, and the step-by-step must be respected:

Add the necessary material: syringe with the medicine, cotton / compress and alcohol; Wash your hands before giving the injection; Iron the cotton with alcohol on the skin to disinfect the injection site; Make a fold in the skin, holding with the thumb and forefinger of the non-dominant hand; Insert the needle into the skin fold (ideally at a 90º angle) in a quick movement, with the dominant hand, while maintaining the fold; Press the syringe plunger slowly, until all the medicine is administered; Remove the needle in a quick movement, undo the pleat and apply light pressure to the spot with the cotton wool moistened with alcohol, for a few minutes; Place the used syringe and needle in a safe container made of hard material that is not within reach of children. Never try to cap the syringe again.

This technique can be done on parts of the body that have some accumulation of fat, but it is important that between each injection a change of site is made, even if it is in the same part of the body, leaving at least 1 cm away from the site previous.

In the case of a person with little body fat or with a small crease, only 2/3 of the needle should be inserted to avoid reaching the muscle. When pleating the skin, it is also important to avoid putting too much pressure on the skin, so as not to catch muscle with the adipose tissue.

How to choose the injection site

The best places to give a subcutaneous injection are those where there is the greatest accumulation of fat. Thus, those that are most commonly used include:

1. Abdomen

The region around the navel is one of the largest reserves of body fat and, therefore, it is almost always used as the first option for administering subcutaneous injections. In addition, in this place it is almost impossible to grab the abdominal muscle together with the fold, making it a very safe place for the injection.

The main care that should be taken at this location is to make the injection more than 1 cm from the navel.

2. Arm

The arm can be another of the regions used for this type of injection, as it also contains some fat accumulation sites, such as the back and side of the region that is between the elbow and the shoulder.

In this region it may be more difficult to fold without holding muscle, so care must be taken to separate the two tissues before administering the injection.

3. Thighs

Finally, the injection can also be administered in the thighs, as it is another of the places with more fat accumulation, especially in women. Although not the most used site, the thigh can be a good option when the abdomen and arms have been used several times in a row.

Possible complications

Subcutaneous injection is quite safe, however, as with any medication injection technique, there are some complications that can arise, which include: