Drawing medicine into a syringe requires precision to ensure medication efficacy and patient safety. Proper technique is important for preventing contamination and ensuring the correct dosage is administered.
Gathering Supplies and Ensuring Safety
Before drawing medicine, gather all necessary supplies in a clean workspace. These include the medication vial, a new sterile syringe with an attached needle, alcohol wipes, and a sharps container. Washing hands thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer is an initial step to minimize contamination risk.
Check the medication vial to confirm it is the correct medicine. Verify its name, concentration, and expiration date. Visually inspect the liquid for any discoloration, cloudiness, or particulate matter; if any are present, the medication should not be used. This verification helps prevent medication errors and ensures the integrity of the dose.
Step-by-Step Guide to Drawing Medicine
Prepare the medication vial. If new, remove the protective plastic cap. Clean the rubber stopper with an alcohol wipe and allow it to air dry completely to ensure sterility.
Uncap the needle on the sterile syringe, avoiding touching the needle to maintain sterility. Pull back the plunger to draw air into the syringe, matching the exact volume of medicine you intend to draw. This equal volume of air helps prevent a vacuum from forming inside the vial.
Insert the needle through the center of the cleaned rubber stopper on the vial. Push the plunger to inject air into the vial. Immediately after injecting air, invert the vial, holding it upside down with the syringe still attached, ensuring the tip of the needle remains submerged within the medication.
Slowly pull back the plunger to draw the medication into the syringe, observing the fluid level to ensure accuracy. If air bubbles appear, gently tap the side of the syringe to encourage the bubbles to rise. Once the bubbles consolidate, push the plunger just enough to expel the air back into the vial, not the medication. Confirm the precise dose is drawn before removing the needle from the vial.
Addressing Common Issues
Encountering air bubbles after drawing medication is common. If small bubbles remain, gently flicking the syringe can help them coalesce and rise. For larger or persistent bubbles, it may be necessary to push some of the medication back into the vial along with the air, then redraw the correct amount.
Difficulty drawing the full medication dose can occur due to a vacuum effect within the vial. Injecting an equivalent amount of air into the vial before withdrawing medication helps equalize the pressure. If the wrong dose is inadvertently drawn, discard the entire syringe and start over with a new, sterile syringe and fresh medication to ensure accuracy and patient safety.
Maintaining sterility throughout the process is important. Avoid touching the needle after its cap has been removed and prevent it from contacting any unsterile surfaces. Do not touch the plunger rod, as this could introduce contaminants into the syringe and the medication.
Proper Disposal and Storage
After the medicine has been drawn or administered, immediate and safe disposal of the used needle and syringe helps prevent accidental needlesticks. Place the entire used assembly directly into an approved sharps container. These containers are designed to be puncture-resistant.
Never recap a used needle by hand. Attempting to replace the cap on a used needle increases the risk of injury. Once the sharps container is approximately three-quarters full, it should be sealed and prepared for proper disposal according to local guidelines.
If the prepared syringe is not for immediate use, store it away from direct light and at the proper temperature as specified by the medication’s instructions. Always store prepared syringes out of reach of children and pets to prevent accidental exposure. If a sharps container is unavailable or full, contact local services for guidance on appropriate disposal methods.