NARRATOR: THIS VIDEO WILL
SHOW YOU HOW TO GIVE YOURSELF
AN INTRAMUSCULAR,
OR "IM," INJECTION.
"INTRAMUSCULAR"
MEANS "INTO THE MUSCLE."
AN IM INJECTION MEANS
PUTTING A NEEDLE
INTO THE MUSCLE
THAT LIES BELOW THE SKIN
AND DELIVERING A SMALL AMOUNT
OF MEDICINE THERE.
INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTIONS
ARE USED
TO HELP MANAGE OR PREVENT
MANY HEALTH PROBLEMS.
THESE INCLUDE IMMUNE DISORDERS,
INFECTIONS,
LOW B-12 LEVELS, AND MANY MORE.
THE MEDICINES USED
FOR THESE INJECTIONS
COME IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT FORMS.
SOME MEDICINES COME
IN AUTO-INJECTORS OR PENS.
OTHERS ARE IN A NORMAL SYRINGE
ALREADY FILLED WITH MEDICINE.
AND STILL OTHERS COME IN VIALS.
YOU WITHDRAW THE MEDICINE
YOU NEED FROM THE VIAL
EACH TIME YOU GIVE YOURSELF
AN INJECTION.
EVEN THE MEDICINE ITSELF
CAN COME IN DIFFERENT FORMS.
MOST OF THE TIME, THE MEDICINE
COMES AS A LIQUID.
SOMETIMES, YOUR DOCTOR
MIGHT PRESCRIBE A POWDER.
THIS HAS TO BE MIXED
WITH A LIQUID,
SUCH AS SALINE
OR DISTILLED WATER,
BEFORE YOU CAN USE IT.
IF YOUR MEDICINE NEEDS
TO BE KEPT IN THE REFRIGERATOR,
IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO LET IT
COME UP TO ROOM TEMPERATURE
BEFORE GIVING YOURSELF
THE INJECTION.
THE INJECTION MIGHT BE MORE
PAINFUL IF THE MEDICINE IS COLD.
START BY WASHING YOUR HANDS
WITH SOAP AND WARM WATER.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE EVERYTHING
YOU'LL NEED:
ALCOHOL PADS OR COTTON SWABS
DIPPED IN RUBBING ALCOHOL,
A DISPOSABLE SYRINGE,
THE MEDICINE YOU'LL BE USING,
COTTON BALLS
AND ADHESIVE BANDAGES,
AND A PLACE TO SAFELY THROW AWAY
THE USED SYRINGE.
IM INJECTIONS CAN BE GIVEN
IN DIFFERENT PLACES,
LIKE THE DELTOID MUSCLE
OF THE SHOULDER,
THE UPPER THIGH,
OR THE OUTER HIP.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO AVOID
GIVING THE INJECTION
IN THE SAME SPOT EVERY TIME.
YOU ALSO SHOULD AVOID
INJECTING ANY SPOT
THAT'S BRUISED, TENDER,
OR SCARRED.
CHECK THE EXPIRATION DATE
ON YOUR MEDICINE.
IF YOUR VIAL HAS A PLASTIC CAP,
POP IT OFF.
THEN WIPE THE TOP OF THE VIAL
WITH THE PAD OR SWAB
AND LET THE ALCOHOL DRY.
NEXT, PREPARE THE AREA
FOR INJECTION
BY WIPING IT WITH ANOTHER
ALCOHOL PAD OR SWAB.
ALLOW THE SKIN TO DRY
BEFORE THE NEXT STEP.
THE SYRINGE IS MADE OF
3 BASIC PARTS:
A BARREL, A PLUNGER,
AND A NEEDLE.
THE BARREL HAS MARKINGS
ON THE SIDE.
THESE HELP YOU MEASURE
THE CORRECT DOSE.
SYRINGES COME IN
DIFFERENT SIZES.
YOUR DOCTOR OR PHARMACIST
WILL HELP MAKE SURE
YOU KNOW HOW TO USE THE MARKINGS
FOR ANY SYRINGE YOU HAVE.
WHEN YOU'RE READY,
OPEN THE PACKAGE THAT CONTAINS
THE SYRINGE.
THEN OPEN THE PACKAGE
THAT CONTAINS THE NEEDLE,
AND SCREW IT ONTO THE SYRINGE.
DRAW SOME AIR INTO THE SYRINGE
BY PULLING THE PLUNGER BACK TO
THE PROPER MARK FOR YOUR DOSAGE.
NOW CAREFULLY UNCAP
THE SYRINGE,
AND SET THE CAP ASIDE.
STICK THE NEEDLE THROUGH
THE TOP OF THE VIAL.
FLIP THE NEEDLE AND VIAL OVER,
AND THEN INJECT THE AIR
INTO THE VIAL
BY SLOWLY PUSHING THE PLUNGER
ALL THE WAY IN.
NOW SLOWLY PULL THE PLUNGER
BACK DOWN,
MAKING SURE THE NEEDLE IS UNDER
THE SURFACE OF THE MEDICINE.
CONTINUE DRAWING THE MEDICINE
INTO THE BARREL
UNTIL IT CONTAINS
THE CORRECT DOSE.
KEEPING THE NEEDLE UNDER
THE SURFACE OF THE MEDICINE
DECREASES THE CHANCE
OF DEVELOPING BUBBLES
IN THE BARREL OF THE SYRINGE.
IF YOU NOTICE
ANY LARGE AIR BUBBLES,
YOU NEED TO REMOVE THEM.
YOU DO THIS BY PUSHING
THE PLUNGER IN AGAIN,
SENDING THE MEDICINE
BACK INTO THE VIAL.
THEN YOU SLOWLY DRAW THE CORRECT
AMOUNT OUT ONCE MORE.
TO GIVE THE INJECTION,
HOLD THE BARREL OF THE SYRINGE
SO THAT IT'S POINTING STRAIGHT
AT THE SKIN.
WITH A FIRM, SMOOTH MOTION,
INSERT THE NEEDLE THROUGH
THE SKIN AND INTO THE MUSCLE.
ONCE THE NEEDLE IS IN,
SHIFT YOUR THUMB TO THE PLUNGER
AND SLOWLY PUSH THE PLUNGER
ALL THE WAY IN.
COUNT TO 3 TO MAKE SURE THAT
THE SYRINGE IS COMPLETELY EMPTY,
THEN PULL THE NEEDLE
STRAIGHT OUT AND SET IT ASIDE.
YOU MAY NEED A COTTON BALL
AND AN ADHESIVE BANDAGE
FOR BLEEDING.
DON'T TRY TO RE-CAP THE NEEDLE.
YOU COULD STICK YOURSELF.
PUT THE USED SYRINGE
INTO A SHARPS CONTAINER.
IT'S EASY FOR NEEDLES TO GO IN
AND HARD FOR THEM TO COME OUT.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A READY-MADE
SHARPS CONTAINER,
YOU CAN MAKE ONE USING
A JAR OR BOTTLE
MADE OF STIFF PLASTIC
WITH A SCREW-ON CAP.
ONE EXAMPLE IS
A DETERGENT BOTTLE.
LABEL IT VERY CLEARLY
AS DANGEROUS.
ANYONE WHO SEES IT WILL KNOW
TO LEAVE IT ALONE.
YOU SHOULD KEEP THE CONTAINER
IN A SAFE PLACE,
OUT OF REACH
OF CHILDREN AND PETS.
IF YOUR MEDICINE IS
IN A SINGLE-DOSE VIAL,
THEN DISCARD THE VIAL.
IF IT'S A MULTI-DOSE VIAL,
IT'S OK TO LEAVE IT UNCAPPED.
IF IT NEEDS TO BE
REFRIGERATED,
BE SURE TO PUT IT
BACK IN THE REFRIGERATOR.
EVERYTHING ELSE CAN BE
THROWN OUT NORMALLY.
INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTIONS
MAY SEEM SCARY,
BUT AS YOU'VE JUST SEEN,
THEY'RE NOT THAT DIFFICULT IF
YOU FOLLOW A FEW SIMPLE STEPS.
