Details about the procedure
A subcutaneous injection is a shot given into a fatty area under the skin (as opposed to an intravenous injection, which is injected directly into the bloodstream). An injection into the abdominal area is mainly prescribed to patients undergoing an IVF protocol and undergoing hormonal medications.
Prescriptions for the drugs usually come with detailed instructions for proper use.
If bruises or bumps appear, it is recommended to smear the affected area with Heparin gel. It has an antithrombotic effect, improves microcirculation and activates tissue metabolism, which leads to rapid resorption of hematomas.
Contraindications
Injections in the abdominal area are not suitable for all people. This procedure has a number of contraindications:
- severe blood pathologies (among the main ones is a low platelet count in the blood count);
- individual hypersensitivity to the composition of the injection;
- pathologies of the liver, kidneys, pancreas;
- arterial hypertension (high blood pressure).
The named pathologies are general contraindications for injections in this area. However, before giving an injection in the stomach, you need to carefully read the contraindications to the medicine that will be administered. Often drugs have a long list of diseases and conditions for which taking this drug in any form is prohibited.
Injections in the stomach during IVF
For any protocol (long, short), medications are prescribed.
The first stage of the protocol: stimulation. Medicines that cause the growth and development of follicles containing hCG: Gonal-f, Puregon, Ovitrel, Pregnil, Menopur, Choriomon, Elonva, Horagon.
After the first phase, ovulation, puncture and embryo transfer occurs. To prepare the endometrium and successful implantation, artificial progesterone preparations are prescribed: Crinone, Progesterone, Utrozhestan. In most cases, doctors prefer suppositories and gels, but some prescribe pure progesterone, which is an oil solution for intramuscular administration.
Patients are often prescribed Fragmin (Fraxiparine, Clexane) when d-dimers, which affect fertilization and pregnancy, are elevated. Blood thinning is also necessary to prevent thrombosis. Mostly dosages are 2500 or 5000 IU.
Preparation
Before you give yourself a subcutaneous injection, you need to carefully prepare. First of all, you need to remember that the procedure should always be performed within a certain period of time. If you started injecting in the morning before work, then the entire treatment cycle should continue that way.
USEFUL INFORMATION: Details about embryo hatching
Subcutaneous injections are designed to be injected into the layer of fat under the skin.
General list of permitted injection sites:
- the fatty part of the triceps on the side and in the back of the arm between the elbow and shoulder (into the arm);
- in the front surface of the thigh, closer to the outer part (in the leg);
- the thick part of the frontal abdomen below the ribs, above the hips, and not directly next to the umbilical cord (in the abdomen).
It is important to constantly change injection sites in the desired area, as repeated injections in the same area can cause scarring and hardening of the fatty tissue, which makes future manipulation difficult and prevents the absorption of the medicine.
Does it hurt to get an injection? No, if you do all the steps correctly and don’t get nervous.
What is needed for injections during IVF
Prepare everything in advance in one place. Before you continue, make sure you have:
- the required dose of your medicine. Typically, IVF drugs are contained in syringe pens with markings and a supply of sterile short needles with fine calibration;
- a suitable syringe with a sterile needle tip. Mostly 0.5, 1 or 2 cubic meters are used;
- container for safe disposal of consumables;
- alcohol or vodka;
- sterile gauze pad (usually 2 x 2 cm);
- clean towel (napkin).
Some medication bottles contain only one dose, while others contain enough for multiple treatments.
A reproductive specialist may prescribe the administration of half a bottle. Always store leftovers in the refrigerator.
What are the risks of subcutaneous injection?
Oddly enough, medical manipulation is fraught with many difficulties. You may become infected (from using an unsterile syringe), break a needle in the skin, or damage a nerve. In addition, due to contact with a blood vessel, bruises and lumps often occur in the injection area. You should consult a doctor if:
- after the injection, fever, sneezing or cough develops;
- swelling or bruising at the site of manipulation does not disappear;
- there was a rash, itching or shortness of breath;
- the mouth, lips or face are swollen.
How to give a subcutaneous injection: instructions
Find a clean, bright, comfortable place where you won't be disturbed. Many women carry out the procedure in the bathroom or kitchen. When performing a subcutaneous injection, the less you come into contact with non-sterilized materials, the better. Having all the tools laid out on a towel in advance makes the process quick, easy and more hygienic.
USEFUL INFORMATION: Nutrition during stimulation during eco
Actions:
- Wash your hands with soap and dry thoroughly.
- Fill the syringe with the required dosage of medicine, use the plunger of the syringe to squeeze out the air so that a few drops of medicine appear from the needle. For stimulation during IVF, medications are mainly prescribed in special pen syringes with markings. Gently turn the knob to the selected dose. Remove the sterile needle from the individual container and insert it.
- Free the injection area from clothing. Using an alcohol wipe, clean the injection site by gently wiping the selected area. Let it air dry. If you find that the skin is irritated, bruised, or hard, choose a different area.
- Take the syringe. Hold it firmly, like a pencil, in your dominant hand. Make sure you can easily reach the plunger.
- With your free hand, gather about 3.8-5.1 cm of skin between your thumb and index finger. You should get a small mound. By grouping the skin, you create a thicker area for injection, ensuring the drug is injected into the fat rather than the underlying muscle. As you collect the skin, you should be able to feel the difference between the soft top fat layer and the harder muscle tissue. Subcutaneous medications are not intended for injection into muscles, and incorrect injection may result in bleeding.
- With slight tension, immerse the needle completely into the skin. Typically, it should be inserted at a 90-degree angle (straight, up and down) to inject the medication into the fatty tissue. Act quickly and confidently so as not to be nervous. Tension can cause the needle to not go in or slowly pierce the skin, causing increased pain. Apply even pressure to the plunger until the medication is completely injected. Use one controlled, steady movement.
- Then carefully place a piece of gauze or a cotton ball on the side of the syringe. Wait a few seconds and remove it while covering the area with cotton wool. Hold the alcohol pad for a few seconds. If blood appears, hold it until the bleeding stops.
- Dispose of the needle and syringe safely. It is very important to ensure that consumables are not disposed of through “normal” garbage, as they can be reused by antisocial elements of society and spread potentially fatal diseases.
USEFUL INFORMATION: Carrying out the IVF procedure step by step
How to give an injection
Before giving a subcutaneous injection in the stomach, you need to prepare.
What do you think are the most important factors when choosing a medical facility?
- It is necessary to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and dry them.
- Prepare all necessary tools and materials. This list includes cotton wool, alcohol, an ampoule of the injected drug, a syringe in the package, and medical gloves (they are recommended when a person is injecting himself).
- The final stage of preparation is treating the abdominal area with alcohol in order to give the injection.
The injection process can be divided into several steps.
- The syringe must be opened, but it is not yet recommended to remove the cap from the needle.
- The next step is opening the ampoule. To do this, take a small piece of cotton wool, wrap it around the top part and make a break.
- Remove the cap from the needle. The syringe is held in the right hand, the ampoule in the left.
- After the medicine is drawn into the syringe, the needle is capped again.
- To properly inject, two fingers (index and thumb) of the left hand grasp the fold of skin on the abdomen. The fold can be either thin or thicker, it depends on the amount of subcutaneous fat. The main thing is to capture only the skin with the subcutaneous layer (not muscle tissue).
- The injection should be placed in the stomach at an angle of 30-40 degrees to the surface of the skin. In this case, the needle should enter ⅔ of the tissue.
- The syringe plunger must be pressed carefully and evenly. In addition, care must be taken to ensure that the medicine does not leak out when administered.
- After administering the entire dose of the drug, the needle is removed and cotton wool with alcohol is placed at the puncture site. If insulin was injected, then this is not necessary.
When a patient is prescribed several subcutaneous injections, these injections are given at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other.
If this rule is not followed, tissue compactions and scars may appear at the injection sites.
In addition, a new syringe must be used for each injection.
Preparation
You need to choose the right place to administer the drug. To do this, you need to mentally draw a figure eight on your stomach, the center of which will be located at the navel. You can inject the injection into one of the loops of the figure eight. Doctors advise making injections as close to the navel as possible (at a distance of 2-3 cm from it).
The used syringe and ampoule must be placed in a separate bag and disposed of properly.
How to properly inject an injection into the buttock
The rules are almost the same. There is only one exception: if an oil injection is prescribed, then the ampoule should be preheated (rubbed with your palms, kept in a warm place). Progesterone should not be heated in boiling water. For the procedure, it is best to use a 5 ml syringe.
You should prepare everything for the procedure and stop being nervous. Stand in front of the mirror and make room for the injection. The buttock is mentally divided into 4 parts. The prick should be in the upper outer area. The syringe must be inserted sharply at an angle of 90 degrees, sticking the needle almost to the very end. Then slowly introduce the drug, which will be difficult to infuse because it is oily. Don't panic. Then clamp it with an alcohol cotton swab and remove the syringe. Wipe the injection site. Dispose of consumables.
