Whether you are giving the shot to yourself or administering it for someone else, doing it for the first time may be a little nerve-wracking. Read through these step-by-step instructions a few times to make yourself familiar and comfortable with the process.
How to Give an Injection
Many medications can only be given with an intramuscular injection. Here’s how it’s done:
Assemble all the supplies you’ll need: the medication to be given, syringe and new needle, alcohol prep pad, gauze, band-aid. Wash your hands. Prepare or mix the medication according to your instructions and draw the medication into the syringe. Select the site: It should be free of scars or bumps. Clean the site with an alcohol pad and allow it to dry. Do not blow on it or fan the site to quicken the drying process. Spread the skin with your fingers and inject the needle straight down in a dart-like motion all the way. Pull back on the plunger a little. If you see blood enter the syringe, pull the needle out a little and inject the medication. If you do not see blood, simply inject. Pull the needle out and dispose of properly in a sharps container. Do not put medical or sharp waste in the regular garbage. Use the gauze to dab up any blood, if necessary, and cover with a bandage. Wash your hands.
Tips
Apply ice on the site to numb the area just prior to cleaning it. Have the patient relax the area of the injection site. Tension in the muscle makes the injection more painful. Massage the area afterward to enhance the absorption of the medication. After drawing up the medication, change the needle. The smaller the needle is, the less painful the injection will be. Hold the syringe by the barrel and not the plunger. Keeping a finger on the plunger may cause you to inadvertently push the plunger before the needle is entirely in the tissue. This can help prevent you from wasting medication.
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