? Residual insulin left in syringe after shot and bubbles

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katiesmom

katiesmom

Member Since 2013
I know the residual insulin left in syringe after a shot is the insulin that was in the hub.

My question is why it would be more on some days than others? Sometimes there is hardly any, lately, there has been a lot, there appears to be 1/2 unit in the syringe afterward. I always pull the plunger back and look at it after injecting, and it wasnt until lately I have seen so much insulin left in there.

Her numbers have been lousy and I am wondering if she is getting all her insulin. or if I am suddenly doing something wrong here.

Does it depend on the speed I inject? Bubbles in the hub?
I do have a heck of time with bubbles, for some reason, even though I draw way more than I need, flick the bubble to the top and then shoot out the extra insulin, the bubble will many times remain, like the insulin just goes right around it. Some days I go through so many syringes trying to get her shot right, it's pathetic.
I do depress the plunger tight to try prevent air getting in the syringe when inserting the needle in vial, but that doesnt do the trick to eliminate the bubbles either. I struggle with the darn things every single time.

I know these may be stupid questions, and I am terribly anal and neurotic, but I cant seem to get her numbers back down and I think I must be doing something wrong.

Although we just started back on insulin 6 weeks ago, Katie was insulin dependent for nearly 1 1/2 years in 2012-2013, so I am not new to the sugar dance, so I shouldn't be having such a problem. I am just full of self doubt. Heck, it has me wondering if I am even giving her her shots right anymore:(
 
I know that when I started drawing insulin for my cat I had the same problem. I had the bottle sitting on the counter and drew insulin that way. I had trouble with air bubbles too. Now I tip vial upside down and draw the insulin down into the syringe. I rarely have air bubbles that way and not sure if that is the right way or not. It does seem to work better for me although I am fairly new to the sugar dance.;)
 
Red & Rover (GA) said:
Some syringe are better than others. What brand do you use? Maybe other beans could chime in about what syringes they use.
Click to expand...
I am using the BD syringes.
I first used Walgreens' syringes and had same problem, Tried monoject, same thing.
I have new vial of insulin too, I actually thought maybe it was my first bottle of insulin.
 
Lisa and Smoky said:
I know that when I started drawing insulin for my cat I had the same problem. I had the bottle sitting on the counter and drew insulin that way. I had trouble with air bubbles too. Now I tip vial upside down and draw the insulin down into the syringe. I rarely have air bubbles that way and not sure if that is the right way or not. It does seem to work better for me although I am fairly new to the sugar dance.;)
Click to expand...
Yes, turning the vial upside is the right way to do it:) You are doing it right. What brand syringe do you use?
 
Sometimes I get a lot of bubbles, too. I flick the syringe a couple of times, and then check to make sure the bubble is centered at the top before trying to expel the air. I have found that if that darn bubble is not right in the center all that happens is the air stays in place and I just lose insulin.
 
Squalliesmom said:
Sometimes I get a lot of bubbles, too. I flick the syringe a couple of times, and then check to make sure the bubble is centered at the top before trying to expel the air. I have found that if that darn bubble is not right in the center all that happens is the air stays in place and I just lose insulin.
Click to expand...
Thanks @Squalliesmom for the tip! How do you get the bubble in the middle? Keep flicking it?
 
I'm anal and neurotic too!!
I've spent quite a bit of time playing around with syringes since the brand I was using was discontinued. And yes, if a bubble is sitting in the hub there will be less insulin in the syringe after you inject and pull back on the plunger.
Something to watch for in the syringes with a hub, is that the needle comes down to the top of the barrel. In some syringes it will only come down into the hub and in that case you will be injecting more insulin into your cat than the dose you are drawing up.
I hope that makes sense.
 
Wow, I had no idea there was that much insulin still left in the hub after the injection is given. What a waste! :eek: Now it's really going to bug me, lol! :cat:
 
Here's my procedure. I hope somebody finds it useful:

1. Start by moving the plunger back and forth. This lubes the inside of the barrel.
2. Depress the plunger firmly so that it's tight with the end of the barrel
3. Insert the needle into the insulin container
4. Draw your dose + whatever excess you're comfortable with
5. Withdraw the needle from the container, and with the needle tip pointer straight up, give the barrel a good couple of thwacks with your finger to bring the bubbles to the top of the barrel.

Here's the part that I think will help. It's counter-intuitive, but I use it with much success:

6. Pull the plunger back a bit to draw in more air. This sucks in any liquid still in the needle's tip, allows any bubbles to coalesce into the larger air space, and clears the airway for the next step.
7. Now that you have a larger air space at the top of the barrel, slowly depress the plunger to expel the air. Once you see a drop of liquid begin to emerge, you should be rid of all of your bubbles.

8. Administer your dose. Keep your finger firmly pressed against the plunger while you withdraw the needle from the skin after giving the shot, otherwise it can suck some insulin back up on its way out.
 
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I draw up about 1.5 - 2 units more than the dose needed (from inverted vial).

Then I turn the syringe upside down so that the needle is pointing downwards and flick the barrel until any air coalesces into a bubble in the middle of the plunger. Next I turn the syringe through 180 degrees so that the needle is again pointing upwards. I then give the barrel a good flick with a slight upwards motion to the finger movement (think of 'nudging' the bubble upwards). Most of the time the bubble heads straight into the hub and is easy to expel along with the excess insulin. If it lodges at the side of the syringe after the flick I repeat the above procedure.


Mogs
.
 
AZJenks said:
Here's my procedure. I hope somebody finds it useful:

1. Start by moving the plunger back and forth. This lubes the inside of the barrel.
2. Depress the plunger firmly so that it's tight with the end of the barrel
3. Insert the needle into the insulin container
4. Draw your dose + whatever excess you're comfortable with
5. Withdraw the needle from the container, and with the needle tip pointer straight up, give the barrel a good couple of thwacks with your finger to bring the bubbles to the top of the barrel.

Here's the part that I think will help. It's counter-intuitive, but I use it with much success:

6. Pull the plunger back a bit to draw in more air. This sucks in any liquid still in the needle's tip, allows any bubbles to coalesce into the larger air space, and clears the airway for the next step.
7. Now that you have a larger air space at the top of the barrel, slowly depress the plunger to expel the air. Once you see a drop of liquid begin to emerge, you should be rid of all of your bubbles.

8. Administer your dose. Keep your finger firmly pressed against the plunger while you withdraw the needle from the skin after giving the shot, otherwise it can suck some insulin back up on its way out.
Click to expand...


WOW this method of yours works like a charm!!!!!:)
 
AZJenks said:
8. Administer your dose. Keep your finger firmly pressed against the plunger while you withdraw the needle from the skin after giving the shot, otherwise it can suck some insulin back up on its way out.
Click to expand...
Thank you for sharing that info, I never would have thought of it, but it really works!!! :):):)
 
AZJenks said:
Here's my procedure. I hope somebody finds it useful:

1. Start by moving the plunger back and forth. This lubes the inside of the barrel.
2. Depress the plunger firmly so that it's tight with the end of the barrel
3. Insert the needle into the insulin container
4. Draw your dose + whatever excess you're comfortable with
5. Withdraw the needle from the container, and with the needle tip pointer straight up, give the barrel a good couple of thwacks with your finger to bring the bubbles to the top of the barrel.

Here's the part that I think will help. It's counter-intuitive, but I use it with much success:

6. Pull the plunger back a bit to draw in more air. This sucks in any liquid still in the needle's tip, allows any bubbles to coalesce into the larger air space, and clears the airway for the next step.
7. Now that you have a larger air space at the top of the barrel, slowly depress the plunger to expel the air. Once you see a drop of liquid begin to emerge, you should be rid of all of your bubbles.

8. Administer your dose. Keep your finger firmly pressed against the plunger while you withdraw the needle from the skin after giving the shot, otherwise it can suck some insulin back up on its way out.
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I have been doing! I thought was the only one! Glad to see I am not crazy by doing that. If there is a bubble, and 99% there is, I pull the plunger back so you have one big air pocket then carefully push it out and expel the excess insulin. Only I will still see bubble/bubbles in the hub and I cant tell if they are big or small. I just dont get why they dont totally disappear.
 
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