Choice of Syringes



The choice of syringe also depends upon the kind of injection that is needed, i.e. how the injection is going to be administered. This is a vital parameter for choosing syringes. It also affects the range of sizes that the patient should consider. The various categories under which all types of injections are grouped include:



Intramuscular Injections

These injections are inserted deeper into the subcutaneous layer, piercing into the musculature. Thus, the syringe needs to be of a bigger size.

Subcutaneous Injections

These injections need a smaller syringe. Here, the injection pierces into the fatty layer that is located just below the skin.

Apart from these two considerations, the opinion of the attending physician might influence the choice of syringe. This often happens if the patient has a very thin fatty layer or someone with a very heavy bone and muscle structure has to be injected. This is why it is recommended that the choice of syringes should be at least once confirmed through a professional medical opinion before using syringes at home, i.e. without medical supervision.

You need to be familiar with some basic precautions that should be taken when evaluating a retailed syringe. For starters, the packaging containing the syringe should clearly define the capacity of the syringe in terms of how many cc of the liquid dose it can handle. If you are buying a syringe for insulin shots, then it is useful to check the barrel sizes that have been quoted on the packaging. Usually, insulin syringes are sold with three, barrel-size options. Among these, the ½ ml and 1 ml syringes are the most commonly-used options. The ½ ml barrel refers to the capacity of the syringe wherein in cannot hold more than 50 units of insulin. Similarly, the 1 ml marking refers to the syringe limit of holding a maximum of 100 units of insulin.