Proper injection technique may help you reach your treatment goals
People with diabetes who received training on how to inject correctly, including using a new needle for every injection, rotating injection sites and moving to a shorter 4mm or 5mm needle, experienced a 1% average reduction in A1C after 6 months.3
1. Why use a new needle for each injection?
Needle reuse has been linked to a buildup of fat below the surface of the skin where you inject, presenting as lumps over time. These lumps, known as lipohypertrophy (or lipo for short), can make it harder for your body to properly absorb insulin and can lead to variation in blood sugar4. You may not be able to see these lumps, but you might be able to feel a soft or hard lump under the skin when you press on it.
Using a new needle with each injection can help you avoid painful injections and can help reduce the risk of lumps developing under your skin.2,4
2. Rotating injection sites can help reduce the risk of developing lipohypertrophy.5
The recommended areas for injecting insulin are the abdomen, thighs, upper arms, and buttocks. Once an injection site is chosen, it can be divided into four sections, or halves when using the thighs or buttock. Use one section per week and rotate injection sites within that section. Be sure to inject at least one finger width away from the last injection.2
3. Benefits of a shorter needle
Insulin is meant to be injected into the fat layer just below the skin where it works best. That’s why you need a needle long enough to get through the skin but short enough to avoid the muscle.2
Longer needles can increase the risk of injecting insulin into the muscle. Injecting into the muscle can lead to pain or cause blood sugars to get too low.2,6
Everyone has a different experience while managing diabetes.
Here are some helpful tips to help you along your diabetes journey.
Insulin on the skin after injection?
Make sure the needle is inserted into your skin before pressing down on the pen button to deliver the dose. Count to 10 after the plunger is fully depressed before removing the needle from the skin.2
Pain or discomfort?
There is an association between needle reuse and injection pain or bleeding, so make sure you use a new needle with every injection.2,4*
Research has shown that using a 4mm pen needle can make injections significantly more comfortable compared to thicker and longer needles.7+
Be careful to avoid injecting into the muscle, which can lead to greater risk of bleeding, bruising and pain.2 If problems persist, talk to your health care professional.
For 100 years, we’ve been accelerating the journey to better diabetes care. With our creation of the first insulin delivery device,1 we delivered an innovation that moved the management and treatment of diabetes forward. Today, we touch the lives of ~30 million people in over 100 countries.
Content and information in this article are provided by Embecta and are for informational purposes only.
References
1. Kesavadev J, Saboo B, Krishna MB, Krishnan G. Evolution of Insulin Delivery Devices: From Syringes, Pens, and Pumps to DIY Artificial Pancreas. Diabetes Ther. 2020;11(6):1251-1269. doi:10.1007/s13300-020-00831-z.
2. 2. Frid AH, Kreugal G, Grassi G, et al. New insulin delivery recommendations. Mayo Clin Proc. 2016;01(9):1231-1255.
3. Misnikova IV, Gubkina VA, Lakeeva TS, Dreval AV. A randomized controlled trial to assess the impact of proper insulin injection technique training on glycemic control. Diabetes Ther. 2017;8(6):1309-1318.
4. Frid AH, Hirsch LJ, Menchior AR, et al. Worldwide injection technique questionnaire study: injecting complications and the role of the professional. Mayo Clin Proc. 2016;91(9):1224-1230.
5. Blanco M, Hernández MT, Strauss KW, Amaya M. Prevalence and risk factors of lipohypertrophy in insulin-injecting patients with diabetes. Diabetes Metab. 2013;39(5):445-453.
6. Gibney MA, Arce CH, Byron KJ, Hirsch LJ. Skin and subcutaneous adipose layer thickness in adults with diabetes at sites used for insulin injections: implications for needle length recommendations. Curr Med Res Opin. 2010;26(6):1519-1530.
7. Hirsch LJ, Gibney MA, Albanese J, et al. Comparative glycemic control, safety and patient ratings for a new 4mm x 32G insulin pen needle in adults with diabetes. Curr Med Res Opin. 2010;26(6):1531-1541.
