RT Journal
A1 Inwood MJ
T1 SIte for subcutaneous heparin injection
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 1993
FD January 25
VO 153
IS 2
SP 263
OP 263
DO 10.1001/archinte.1993.00410020105014
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1993.00410020105014
AB I was most interested to read the continuing correspondence in the January 1992 issue of the Archives concerning the above subject and the complications of hematoma formation experienced with subcutaneous heparin injections.1 In my experience, a major consideration, as noted by Thomas,2 would be the length of the needle. I recommend that syringes and needles designed for insulin administration be used for this procedure. This combination has the advantage of using a very small-bore needle (26 or 27 gauge) with a length of only 12 mm. Insulin users have been well aware of the difficulties of site selection for repetitive injections of insulin, and this combination of needle and syringe has been used with advantage and satisfaction. The potential disadvantage is converting the 100-U insulin syringe to milliliter equivalence. In my experience, this can be simply done and it does not cause confusion for the attending nurse or