Intramuscular and Subcutaneous Injection Technique
Subcutaneous Injection Technique
The most common medications to be administered by the SC route are, Insulin and Heparin.
The following text is from the local policy (see credits)
- Raise a skinfold at the chosen site firmly between the finger and thumb of the non dominant hand. This will elevate the subcutaneous tissues and reduce the chance of an inadvertent intramuscular injection being given (Winslow, 1997).
- Insert the needle at an angle of 45° or 90° depending on the length of the needle and/or depth of subcutaneous layer. To position the needle into the subcutaneous layer (see diagram 6).
- Release the skinfold and administer the medication. Refer to manufacturer’s guidelines when administering heparin, as the procedure may vary slightly.
Best Practice
It is not necessary to aspirate prior to administering a subcutaneous injection. The research evidence suggests that no subcutaneous medication has been injected into a blood vessel, although unintended intramuscular injection has been documented (Winslow, 1997).