Ok to pre-fill syringes?

[esark33]

Hi - I'm wondering if it's ok to pre-fill a couple weeks worth of syringes at a time and store in the fridge (in a bag or drawer)? Novolin documentation says only to keep refrigerated (if possible) and protect from light. BD syringe faq says "BD does not recommend that any of our syringes be prefilled more than a few minutes in advance of the injection. There are no conclusive studies to determine the safety or risks associated with this practice."

Anyone have any real life experience with this?

[k9diabetes]

Re: Ok to pre-fill syringes?

People have done it at times, especially if they are going on vacation and either have a housesitter or a boarding facility give the injections while they are gone.

I think it's probably better to avoid it and only do it if it's really necessary.

Very important to thoroughly and gently remix the insulin in the syringe before injecting AND to store the syringes vertically with the needle up to avoid having settle in and clog the needle.

Here are some articles on prefilling syringes.

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/scrip...666&ref=127608


http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/rl_dsl/...trgInsulin.pdf

Natalie

[jesse girl]

Re: Ok to pre-fill syringes?

i would tend to agree with natalie

syringes are plastic where the vial of insulin is stored in glass plastic tends to be porous you can tell that from having like a liquid in plastic and it can be permanently stained and absorbed into the plastic dont know if insulin would do the same and the type of plastic in the syringe some are better than others as far as absorption

i am not sure of your reasoning to do this maybe if someone else was giving jesse injections for the first time and i was out of town for an emergency i may go this route because i would worry about the new person giving the shots and giving the correct amount

if i had time i would go over injections and how to get insulin from the vial and how to administer the patient and do it until comfortable with that individual

[Cebe]

Re: Ok to pre-fill syringes?

Once I filled a syringe and left it out just a short while. The insulin separated and because of the liquid pressure (no air) it wouldn't remix. So, I figured it wasn't a good idea.

[esark33]

Re: Ok to pre-fill syringes?

i am not sure of your reasoning to do this maybe if someone else was giving jesse injections for the first time and i was out of town for an emergency i may go this route because i would worry about the new person giving the shots and giving the correct amount

My mother will be helping me with Mini's care. I've trained her sufficiently, but she has arthritis and not the best eyesight so I was just trying to make it easier for her. She'll stare at the syringe for 2 minutes looking for bubbles.

Well it's sounding like a bad idea so I won't pursue it. Thanks guys!

[k9diabetes]

Re: Ok to pre-fill syringes?

I think a lot depends on how far in advance you have to prefill. If you fill it in the morning for use in the evening, that's likely to generate far fewer problems than if you fill the syringes a week or two in advance and they sit for extended periods of time.

You can always try it and see how it goes - do a few yourself and see whether the insulin remixes well, etc. For whatever reason, it seems like some folks have more difficulty getting the insulin to suspend well than others.

Natalie