If you have been prescribed a medication to self administer via injections at home, you might be feeling overwhelmed at the various supplies you need to properly administer the medication. You will have to have the proper size needles and syringes, as well as various other supplies to help you prepare the site and take care of it after the injection takes place. One of the more common syringes is the 1 cc syringe, but there is also a 3 cc, 5 cc, 10 cc, 20 cc and 30 cc syringe available.
Parts of the Syringe
It is important to become familiar with the different parts to the syringe to properly use them to administer medications. The part most everyone is familiar with is the plunger because it is the part of the syringe that pulls back to fill the barrel with the liquid or medication. The barrel is the part that holds the liquid or medication and is the host to the needle to properly administer medication. The hub of the syringe is what holds the needle, as well as locks the needle in for safety. The protective cap of the syringe, whether a 1cc syringe or larger, is meant to keep it sanitary until you are ready to use it.
Safety of the Syringe
Because the accuracy of your medication and your health relies on the syringe, it is important to know what to look for to ensure your safety. Any syringe that is cracked or looks otherwise tampered with should immediately be thrown out for safety reasons. If you are using syringes at home, they should be disposed of after every use. If you do find a reason to reuse the various syringes you have, they need to be cleaned in between uses with a substance that will dissolve any medication that is leftover in the syringe. The most common liquids used are methanol and acetone.
If you have a need to self-medicate at home for various illnesses, it is important to have a thorough understanding of the various parts you will need to administer your medication. Besides the preparation materials and needles, you will need syringes. The most common size doctors prescribe is the 1 cc syringe, but if your medication requires it, there are also larger sizes available to accommodate any medication needs you have.
