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CAH

Giving injections

You will need to gather the following together before you give the injection:

1. Medicine

2. Syringe and needle

3. Alchol Wipes

4. Sterile Gauze or Cotton Wool to apply pressure to injection point

5. Heavy Plastic or glass jar/container with a scre top lid to put waste in after giving the injection

Preparing for the injection

1. Gather the above supplies together in preparation.followingyour supplies as above.

2. Wash your hands in soap and water. Make sure to clean under nails and in between fingers and dry your hands thoroughly.

Drawing the medicine up into the syringe

1. Check the label on the outside of the bottle to make sure that the medicine has not expired. If the medication has expired do not use. Inspect the medication for any discolouration and do not use if the color has changed since last inspected.

2. Remove the cap from the medicine bottle. If you are giving a cortisol shot, push the yellow plastic bung on the top of the bottle by holding the bottle with yellow cap to upwards and both thumbs on the top. When the rubber bung has been pushed down, gently shake the vial until the powder and the fluid are mixed and the contents are clear.

3. Clean the top of the bung with an alcohol wipe.

4. Place the medicine to one side on a table and then attach the needle to the syringe.

5. Take the cap off the needle and place the cap on the table surface.

6. Pull back on the plunger to draw some air into the needle equal to the amount of medication to be given. Don't touch the plunger or the needle.

7. Push the needle into the rubber bung on the top of the medicine bottle and leave the syringe in the bottle.

8. Turn the bottle and the needle upside down so that the bottle is above the needle. Make sure the the needle is straight.

9. Pull down on the plunger making sure that the needle is below the level of the medicine in the bottle and allow the medication to fill the syringe. Stop at the amount scripted to be given. *See below for average solu cortef doses to give in an emergency.

10. Check the contents of the syringe for air bubbles and if they are present then repeat the above procedure again. You can flick the sides of the syringe to help check for bubbles and this will make any air bubbles more apparent.

11. Remove the needle from the bottle.

12. Carefully replace the cap and put the syringe to one side on the table.

Giving the shot

1. Select the place where you are to give the injection. In children the best place is the upper right quadrant of the thigh muscle as indicated on the diagram at the top of the page or the upper right quadrant of the buttock.

2. Pinch the flesh upwards between thumb and forefinger with one hand to thicken and firm the flesh you are about to jab---you will feel the muscle beneath the surface.

3. Hold the needle like a pencil or a dart and jab firmly and quickly into the skin at 90 degree angle to the skin surface. There should be approximately 1cm of the needle on the outside of the flesh and the rest should be under the skin surface. A good indication that you have injected the needle into the muscle satisfactorily and not into a vein is to draw the plunger back slightly whilst in the flesh. If you draw blood up into the plunger then you need to remove the needle and try again.

4. If you have managed the above successfully then push the plunger on the end of the needle until all the medicine has been delivered into the muscle.

5. Withdraw the needle slowly and apply a cotton bud or alcohol wipe firmly down on the injection site or ask the person to apply pressure to the cotton blood until the bleeding stops. If there is no bleeding from the injection site then this does not need to be done.

6. Place the used needle into a plastic screw top jar and dispose of properly. Do not replace the cap back on the needle.

7. Wash your hands and then if necessary call the emergency services and order an ambulance. Any child or adult whom has had a stress dose of solu cortef will need to be observed in A&E for a few hours atleast, so make your way there or ring for an ambualnce...if you have not already done so.

8. Be sure to take with you the carton for the medication and write the time and date given on the carton for reference when dealing with Doctors or Health Professionals.