How to Fill a Syringe
Filling a syringe is usually associated with administering medications. This can be challenging and requires professional knowledge, practical training and skill to avoid contamination, medication error and needle injury. Diabetics and others who perform this task themselves are trained by a professional.
Drug companies and syringe manufactures provide safety features in their products to meet the standards of the Needle Safety and Prevention Act of 2001. Some companies provide syringes prefilled with medication dosages. If you are filling a standard packaged syringe, the following information may be useful to re-enforce your knowledge.
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Instructions
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Filling the Syringe
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1
Wash your hands with antiseptic soap solution and dry them with a clean towel.
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2
Place the supplies on a clean surface.
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3
Check the expiration dates on the medication vial, the syringe and needle packages. Check the medication vial to make sure it is the correct medication, at the right dosage.
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4
Clean the top of the medication vial with the alcohol swab. Hold the syringe plunger at the base and pull the plunger to the mark of the amount to be filled, making sure your fingers do not touch the barrel of the syringe.
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5
Uncap the needle and attach it to the syringe. Insert it into the top and center of the medication vial while holding the vial upside down.
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6
Pull back the plunger slowly, allowing the syringe to fill with the medication to the appropriate amount of medication.
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7
Remove the needle from the vial, expel any air from the syringe and replace the needle cap.
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Tips & Warnings
The needle and syringe are one-time-use only. Never recap a used needle. It should be discarded in a red hazardous-material container.
There should be no air in the syringe when it is filled. This will prevent the injection of air into the tissue, and also make it difficult to determine dosage.
