Giving an insulin injection into the arm

Clean

Cleaning the area around the injection site
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slide 1 of 6, Clean,

Clean the area of skin where you will give the injection. If you use alcohol to clean the skin, let it dry. Remove the cap from the syringe.

Pinch up

Pinching up the skin
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slide 2 of 6, Pinch up,

Using your knee, push up the back of your arm to create a "pinched-up" area.

Stick it

Putting the needle into the skin
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slide 3 of 6, Stick it,

Push the needle all the way into the pinched-up area.

Relax

Relaxing the pinched skin
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slide 4 of 6, Relax,

Lower your knee slightly so that the back of your arm is no longer pinched up.

Inject

Pushing in the plunger
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slide 5 of 6, Inject,

Push the plunger of the syringe all the way in.

Needle safety

Throwing away the needle in a solid plastic container
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slide 6 of 6, Needle safety,

Throw away the needle in a sharps container or other solid plastic container. You can get a sharps container at your pharmacy.

Current as of: July 28, 2021

Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine
Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine
Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine
David C.W. Lau MD, PhD, FRCPC - Endocrinology
Rhonda O'Brien MS, RD, CDE - Certified Diabetes Educator
Heather Quinn MD - Family Medicine