air in a syringe

[msmandeville]

If I am self injecting insulin using a disposable insulin syringe and needle, if there is air in the syringe how serious is that?  I have been doing it for 3 days now and may have had some air in the syringe.  Should be concerned?  

[caregiver222]

No, a person will not die from having a few cc's of air injected into muscle or fat while administering insulin. This cannot happen under any circumstances..

I am emphasizing this because I do not want you to worry excessively about what is a "nothingburger".

The problem with are, called an "air embolism" is when air is injected into the bloodstream, and travels to the heart. This will never happen when properly injecting insulin. Air in an intravenous line is a horse-of-a different color.

[Pikachu_perfect]

It could be in a sense.

I may be only 18, but I know a few cases that there is air in the needle and a person could die from it, but it's only like when your have a small tube trailing behind it, or I should say that when the air is between the medication and itself. For example;

----_ _ _----

the mini lines is the medication and the little longer lines is the air, which is what I mean by this. If it's only...like 5mm I believe, then it wouldn't be nothing to worry about if it's small, but it would be if it's a large bubble.

Hope this makes sense.

[caregiver222]

No. You need not be concerned, although it is good practice to point the needle upward and depress the plunger to release the air. Insulin is injected into fatty tissue (the belly) or the muscle, and NEVER into a vein. Thus one cannot develop an embolism.