How To Use Lantus Pen

How to Utilise an Insulin Pen

Time to Read: About x minutes

This data describes how to give an insulin injection (shot) with an insulin pen. Information technology also describes how to store and treat disposable insulin pens. A dispensable insulin pen is an insulin pen y'all throw away when it'south empty or after using it for a certain number of days.

If yous're using an insulin pen:

Make sure you know the exact name of the insulin medication yous're using. Always tell all your healthcare providers its exact name.
Brand sure yous know if you're using a concentrated insulin (medication with a lot of insulin in a small amount of liquid). You might be using a full-bodied insulin if yous demand large doses (amounts) of insulin.
Never utilize a syringe to have insulin out of an insulin pen, peculiarly if the insulin is concentrated. Doing this could result in the wrong dose, which tin can be very dangerous.
Never share an insulin pen with anyone. They're meant to be used by 1 person only. Sharing insulin pens could cause an infection.

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About Insulin Pens

An insulin pen is a device used to give an insulin injection. There are unlike types of insulin pens. All types have the same basic parts (see Effigy 1) merely with different medications in them.

A pen cap. This protects the insulin when you're not using the pen.
A rubber seal. This is where the pen needle connects to the torso of the pen.
An insulin reservoir. This holds the insulin. There's a clear plastic surface area that lets you see the insulin inside the reservoir. Y'all can apply this to see about how much insulin is left in the pen.
A characterization. This tells you the type of insulin in the pen and the expiration date.
A dosage selector. This lets you dial to the right insulin dose.
A dose window. This shows the number of units of insulin selected. At that place's an arrow pointing to the number in the middle of the dose window. This is the number of insulin units that will be injected.
An injection push. Y'all printing down on this to give the injection.

Well-nigh insulin pen needles

Use a new insulin pen needle each fourth dimension you give yourself an injection. Insulin pen needles take 4 main parts (encounter Figure 2).

A protective tab. This helps keep the needle make clean. You'll need to remove this earlier attaching the needle to the insulin pen.
An outer needle cap. This covers the needle before and after information technology's used.
An inner needle cap. This helps proceed the needle clean before it's used.
A needle. This is how the injection is given into the skin.

Figure 2. Parts of an insulin pen needle

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How to Shop Your Insulin Pens

Too much heat, cold, or sunlight tin harm the insulin in your pens. Follow the instructions below to store your insulin pens.

Keep your new, unused insulin pens in the refrigerator door. This keeps them from beingness pushed to the back of the refrigerator, where they can freeze.
Keep the insulin pen you're currently using at room temperature (below 86 °F, or xxx °C). Once you lot use an insulin pen the first time, never put information technology dorsum in the fridge.
Never freeze your insulin pens.
When you're going out in hot weather condition, don't allow your insulin pen get likewise hot. Acquit it in an insulated handbag, or something similar, to keep information technology absurd.
- If yous're going to be out for a few hours, put a common cold bottle of water in the insulated handbag with your insulin pen. This will keep it from getting also hot for several hours.
- If you're going to be out for a longer time, you lot can put an ice pack in the insulated pocketbook with your insulin pen. Wrap the water ice pack or insulin pen in a towel to keep them from touching. If the pen touches the water ice pack direct, the insulin can freeze.
Always put the pen cap back on the insulin pen later on using it. This protects the insulin from sunlight.

When to throw away your insulin pens

You lot'll use the same insulin pen over and over for a certain number of days. The number of days depends on the blazon of insulin pen you're using. The table below lists some common types of insulin pens and the number of days yous tin can use each one. Yous can also read the instructions that come with your insulin pens.

Insulin Type	Insulin Concentration	Insulin Action	Number of Days to Use a Pen	Insulin Color
NovoLog^® FlexPen^®: aspart	100 units/mL	Rapid interim	28 days	Clear
Humalog^® KwikPen^®: lispro	100 units/mL	Rapid acting	28 days	Articulate
Lantus^® SoloStar^®: glargine	100 units/mL	Long acting	28 days	Clear
Levemir^® FlexTouch^®: detemir	100 units/mL	Long acting	42 days	Clear
Humulin^®N KwikPen^®: NPH	100 units/mL	Intermediate acting	xiv days	Cloudy

Whenever y'all start using a new insulin pen:

Count ahead the number of days yous can use the insulin pen. Start from the day you first put a pen needle on that new pen.
Write that date on a piece of paper tape (such as masking tape) and put the tape on the pen. This will assist y'all always easily see when you need to throw away the insulin pen and outset using a new one. If you don't have paper record, write the date on a slice of newspaper and tape the paper to the pen.
In one case yous get to the date written on the tape or paper, throw away the insulin pen, even if there's still insulin left. First using a new insulin pen.

For example, if you start using a Lantus SoloStar insulin pen on January i^st, count ahead 28 days to January 28^th. Write "January 28" on a slice of newspaper tape and put the paper tape on the pen. Throw away the pen on January 28^th, even if in that location's still insulin in it.

You can keep unused insulin pens in the refrigerator until the expiration engagement listed on the pen label. One time an insulin pen reaches the expiration appointment listed on the pen characterization, throw it away.

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When to Give an Insulin Injection

If you're using rapid-acting (mealtime) insulin, inject it within xv minutes before your repast. Information technology's all-time to inject it merely before you start eating. This helps forestall low blood sugar.
- Nearly mealtime insulins work for 4 hours. Don't inject mealtime insulin more frequently than every 4 hours unless your healthcare provider tells y'all to. For example, if you eat breakfast at 8:00 a.k., don't inject your side by side dose of mealtime insulin until 12:00 p.m. (noon)or later. Injecting doses too close together can crusade low blood sugar, which tin can be unsafe.
If y'all're using long-acting insulin, inject it at the aforementioned time every day. Follow your healthcare provider'southward instructions.
It'due south okay to use rapid-acting and long-acting insulin at the same fourth dimension.

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How to Cull an Injection Site

Insulin should be injected into the fatty tissue just under your skin. Avoid injecting insulin into your musculus. Choose one of the following injection sites (see Figure 3):

Your abdomen (belly), except for the 2-inch (v-centimeter) expanse around your bellybutton. If you're injecting rapid-acting insulin, this is the best site to use.
The upper and outer part of your thighs. If you lot're injecting long-acting insulin, this is the best site to use.
The upper outer part of your buttocks (butt).
The dorsum part of your upper arms.
- Only use this injection site if someone else is giving you the injection. If you're giving yourself the injection, it's too difficult for you to accomplish the correct area at the back of your arm.

Go on track of the injection site y'all utilize. Be sure to rotate (change) the injection sites with each injection. Inside each injection site, ever inject 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to five centimeters) away from the concluding identify yous injected. This can assist y'all avoid soreness and scar tissue.

Brand certain to inject at to the lowest degree 2 inches (5 centimeters) away from any incisions (surgical cuts), scars, or stretch marks.

Don't inject into an area that's tender, reddish, bruised, or hard.

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How to Give an Insulin Injection

Clear off a clean, flat tabletop to piece of work on.
Gather the following supplies:
- Your blood glucose monitor and related supplies
- The insulin pen
- A new, unused pen needle
- two alcohol swabs
- A trash can
- Your dwelling sharps container, such as an empty laundry detergent bottle. For data nigh choosing a sharps container, read the section "How to Store and Dispose of Your Home Medical Sharps" at the stop of this resource.
Clean your hands with soap and warm water. To do this, wet your hands and employ soap. Rub your hands together well for fifteen to twenty seconds, then rinse. Dry your easily with a paper towel and apply that aforementioned towel to plow off the faucet.
Check your blood saccharide. Information technology's important to practice this before every insulin injection.
- Often, you'll need to know your blood sugar level to know how much rapid-interim insulin to inject before a meal. To figure out your insulin dose, use the insulin sliding scale your healthcare provider gives you.
- Even if you're injecting a set up dose of insulin that doesn't alter based on your blood saccharide level, you still need to check your claret sugar. It's of import to make sure that your blood sugar level isn't too low before you give whatsoever insulin.
- Write downwardly your claret sugar and the corporeality of insulin you're going to take on the blood glucose log your healthcare provider gave yous.
- Place the lancet you lot apply to test your claret carbohydrate in your home sharps container.

Get the insulin pen ready

Cheque the label on the insulin pen to brand sure you have the right insulin pen for the right fourth dimension. For example, if y'all're eating, make sure you take your rapid acting insulin pen.
Pull the pen cap off the insulin pen (see Figure 4). Place the pen cap on the tabular array.

Figure 4. Pull the pen cap off the insulin pen
If yous're using a cloudy insulin (such as the HUMULIN N KwikPen), mix the insulin by gently rolling the pen betwixt your hands 10 times and then tipping the pen up and down ten times. The insulin should look evenly white and cloudy with no lumps or particles. Go along mixing it until you don't meet whatsoever clumps.
Wipe the safe seal at the top of the insulin pen with an alcohol swab. Throw the alcohol swab away.
Take the protective tab off the new pen needle (come across Figure 5). Throw the tab abroad.

Effigy five. Take off the protective tab
Twist the pen needle onto the top of the insulin pen until it stops turning (meet Figure 6). Brand sure to continue the pen needle straight as y'all twist information technology on.

Figure half dozen. Twist the pen needle onto the insulin pen
Take off the outer needle cap (come across Effigy 7). Place it on the table.

Figure 7. Have off the outer needle cap
Pull off the inner needle cap (see Figure viii). Throw it abroad.

Figure 8. Accept off the inner needle cap.

Practise a rubber test (prime the pen)

It's important to do a condom test before every insulin injection. The safety examination makes sure the insulin pen and needle are working correctly. It besides removes air bubbles and fills the needle with insulin so y'all get your full dose.

Hold the insulin pen so you can read the name of the insulin. Looking at the dose window, dial to ii units by turning the dosage selector forward (run into Figure 9). The arrow in the middle of the dose window should line up exactly to the dose you're giving. If you dial by 2 units, turn the dosage selector dorsum until you're at ii units.

Figure 9. Dial the dosage selector
With the needle pointing up, printing the injection push firmly against the table or with your pollex. Await for drops of insulin to come out the tip of the needle.
1. If no insulin comes out, dial to 2 units and press the injection button over again.
2. If insulin still doesn't come out, punch to 2 units and press the injection button once again.
3. If insulin withal doesn't come out, put the outer needle cap back on the needle. Twist the needle off the insulin pen and put it in the sharps container.
4. Put a new needle on the insulin pen and repeat steps viii to 14.

Set the insulin dose

Make sure the dose window shows zero. If it doesn't, turn the dosage selector back until information technology shows nix.
Turn the dosage selector frontwards to dial to the dose you're giving. The arrow should be lined up exactly to the dose y'all're giving.
- If you tin can't dial to the number of units you demand, the insulin pen is probably most empty. Throw it abroad and get a new ane from the refrigerator so you can inject the full dose at once. Practice not inject partial doses or carve up the dose into 2 injections.

Give the insulin dose

Use a new booze swab to gently clean your skin at the injection site.
Concord the insulin pen in your fist with your thumb on the injection button (see Figure ten). Be careful non to button down on the injection button earlier you push the needle into your skin.

Figure ten. Holding the insulin pen
Gently pinch upward your pare at the injection site. In one shine, quick move, push button the whole needle into your skin at a ninety-degree (straight up and downwardly) angle. Push button gently so you see a small dimple in your peel effectually the tip of the pen.
Push button the injection button down firmly, being careful non to printing the pen into your pare more. Once you press the push all the way downwards, keep holding it down and slowly count to 10. This gives the insulin hereafter out of the pen. You should also run across the numbers in the dose window go back to zero.
After yous count to x, take your thumb off the injection button and pull the needle straight out of your pare.
- Never rub the injection site after the injection. This tin can make the insulin work likewise fast.
- If you see a driblet of claret after the injection, press the expanse lightly with your finger or a tissue.

After the injection

Put the large outer needle cap back on the needle. Don't put the small inner cap dorsum on.
Unscrew the needle from the insulin pen. Twist it off in the opposite management you put information technology on.
Put the needle in your sharps container.
Put the pen cap back on the insulin pen.
Shop the insulin pen at room temperature away from too much heat, too much common cold, and direct sunlight.

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How to Shop and Dispose of Your Home Medical Sharps

Don't throw your medical sharps (lancets and pen needles) directly into the trash or flush them down the toilet. Put them into a sharps container. You can utilise an empty, difficult, opaque (non see-through) plastic container that has a screw-on cap, such as a laundry detergent bottle. Don't store sharps in drinking glass bottles, soda bottles, milk jugs, aluminum cans, coffee cans, or paper or plastic bags. For more information, read the resource How to Store and Get Rid of Your Domicile Medical Sharps.

End using your sharps container when information technology's a piffling more than than one-half full. Wrap the chapeau or cap with stiff tape to create a more secure seal and continue it from leaking. Label the bottle past writing on it "Dwelling Sharps: not for recycling."

If you live in New York City, you can identify the sealed container in with your regular trash for collection. Don't put it with your recyclables. If you live in a different canton of New York or another state, check with your local department of health. Y'all can as well utilize the resource below to find more information specific to your surface area.

Rubber Needle Disposal
www.safeneedledisposal.org
800-643-1643
info@safeneedledisposal.org
How to Get Rid of a Sharps Container
world wide web.fda.gov/media/82396/download