Subcutaneous which is
You can get pre-filled syringes at the pharmacy with the correct dose of your medication. Or you may need to fill the syringe with the correct dose from the vial. Either way, check the medication label to make sure you are taking the right medication and the right dose. Also check the date on the label to make sure the medication is not expired.
Smith SF, Duell DJ, Martin BC, Gonzalez L, Aebersold M. Medication administration. In: Smith SF, Duell DJ, Martin BC, Gonzalez L, Aebersold M, eds. Clinical Nursing Skills: Basic to Advanced Skills. 9th ed. New York, NY: Pearson; 2017:chap 18.
Improperly applied subcutaneous injection
A subcutaneous (SC or subQ) injection means that it is given in the fatty tissue, just under the skin. A subcutaneous injection is the best way to give yourself certain medications, such as:Choosing an injection site
You will need a syringe that has a SC (subcutaneous) needle attached. These needles are very short and thin. You can get syringes from the pharmacy that are pre-filled with the correct dose of your medication. Or you may need to fill the syringe with the correct dose from the vial. Either way, check the medication label to make sure you are taking the right medication and the right dose. Also check the date on the label to make sure the medication is not expired. In addition to a syringe, you will need: Prepare the injection site.
The following steps should be followed when preparing the syringe: If you are filling the syringe with medication, you will need to learn the proper technique for filling a syringe with medication. Inject the medication
Subcutaneous injection to how many degrees it is applied
The subcutaneous route is one of the four parenteral routes that exist for the injection of drugs. Classically, this route was represented by the administration of insulin, heparin and vaccines. However, with the addition of end-of-life care, the uses of subcutaneous access have expanded considerably. When administering medication, a series of steps must be followed systematically: prepare the necessary material, prepare the medication, choose the injection site, administer the medication. The steps to follow when performing a subcutaneous injection are as follows:
Before performing any procedure, hands must be washed and gloves must be worn, which in this case do not need to be sterile. Many of the drugs that are administered subcutaneously are already preloaded.
Subsequently and with a movement that draws a spiral outwards, a diameter of about 5 cm is covered. This “sweeps” the germs from that area of the skin outwards, which is not achieved if the gauze is moved from right to left or from top to bottom.
What happens if a subcutaneous injection is given intramuscularly?
A subcutaneous injection is administered as a bolus into the subcutaneous tissue,[1] the layer of skin directly beneath the dermis and epidermis, collectively referred to as the cutis. Subcutaneous injections are highly effective in administering vaccines and drugs such as insulin, morphine, diacetylmorphine, and goserelin. Subcutaneous (as opposed to intravenous) injection of recreational drugs is known as skin popping. Subcutaneous administration can be abbreviated as SC, SQ, sub-cu, sub-Q, SubQ, or subcut.[2] The subcutaneous tissue has few blood vessels.
Subcutaneous tissue has few blood vessels, so drugs injected here are for slow and sustained absorption rates.[3] It is slower than intramuscular injections, but faster than intradermal injections.
Subcutaneous injections are inserted at angles of 45 to 90 degrees, depending on the amount of subcutaneous tissue present and the length of the needle; typically, a needle shorter than 3/8″ is inserted 90 degrees and a 5/8″ needle is usually inserted at 45 degrees. The medication is administered slowly, approximately 10 seconds/milliliter.