[Oldman]

Cookie Monster also look at the steroid profile on the home page. It will explain a lot about what you have ordered.

GENERAL PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF INJECTING

Apart from the specific technique of injecting, there are few general rules that you should keep in mind.

1. Expire dates
- check the expire dates of each item including the drug - good for 2 yrs after exp usually.
2. Drug
- make sure that the vial or ampoule contains the right drug in the right strength
3. Sterility
- during the whole preparation procedure material should be kept sterile
- wash your hands before starting to prepare the injection
- disinfect the skin over the injection site
4. No bubbles
- make sure that there are no air bubbles left in the syringe
5. Prudence
- once the protective cover of the needle is removed extra care is needed
- do not touch anything with the unprotected needle
- once the injection has been given take care not to prick yourself or somebody else
6. Waste
- make sure that contaminated waste is disposed of safely


ASPIRATING FROM AMPOULES

Materials needed
Syringe of appropriate size, needle of required size, ampoule with required drug or solution, gauze

Technique
1. Wash your hands
2. Put the needle on the syringe
3. Remove the liquid from the neck of ampoule by flicking it or swinging it fast in a downward spiralling movement
4. File around the neck of ampoule
5. Protect your fingers with gauze
6. Carefully break off the top of the ampoule
7. Aspirate the fluid from the ampoule
8. Remove any air from the syringe
9. Clean up; dispose of working needle safely; wash your hands


ASPIRATING FROM A VIAL

Materials needed
Syringe of appropriate size, needle of required size, vial with required drug or solution, gauze

Technique
1. Wash your hands
2. Use a syringe with a volume of twice the required amount of drug or solution and add the needle
3. Suck as much air as the amount of solution needed to aspirate
4. Insert needle into (top of) vial and turn upside-down
5. Pump air into vial (creating pressure)
6. Aspirate the required amount of solution and 0.1 ml extra; make sure the tip of the needle is below the fluid surface
7. Pull the needle out of the vial
8. Remove any air from the syringe
9. Clean up; dispose of waste safely; wash your hands


INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTION

Materials needed
Syringe with the drug to be injected, needle, liquid disinfectant, cotton wool

Technique
1. Wash your hands
2. Uncover the area to be injected
3. Disinfect the skin
4. Relax the muscle to be injected
5. Insert the needle swiftly at an angle of 90 degrees (watch depth!)
6. Aspirate briefly; if blood appears, withdraw needle, replace it with new one, if possible, and start again from point 3
7. Inject slowly (less painful)
8. Withdraw needle swiftly
9. Press sterile cotton wool onto the opening; fix with adhesive tape if necessary
10. Clean up; dispose of waste safely; wash your hands

[ July 20, 2001: Message edited by: Oldman ]