Insulin syringes
An insulin syringe has three parts: a needle, a barrel, and a plunger.
- The needle is short and thin and covered with a fine layer of silicone
to allow it to pass through the skin easily and lessen pain. A cap covers
and protects the needle before it is used.
- The barrel is the long, thin chamber that holds the insulin. The barrel
is marked with lines to measure the number of insulin units.
- The plunger is a long, thin rod that fits snugly inside the barrel
of the syringe. It easily slides up and down to either draw the insulin
into the barrel or push the insulin out of the barrel through the needle.
The plunger has a rubber seal at the lower end to prevent leakage. The
rubber seal is matched with the line on the barrel to measure the correct
amount of insulin.
Insulin syringes are made in several sizes.
Syringe size |
Number of units the syringe holds |
1/4 mL or 0.25 mL |
25 |
1/3 mL or 0.33 mL |
30 |
1/2 mL or 0.50 mL |
50 |
1 mL |
100 |
Use the smallest syringe size you can for the dose of insulin you need.
The measuring lines on the barrel of small syringes are farther apart
and easier to see. When you choose the size of syringe, consider the number
of units you need to give and how well you can see the markings on the
barrel.
- A 0.25 mL or 0.33 mL syringe usually is best for children (who often
need very small doses of insulin) and for people with poor eyesight.
- A 1 mL syringe may be best for an adult who needs to take a large
amount of insulin.
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