SQ Aspiration

**PimpStick** · 04-19-2008, 10:21 AM

I know that some say there is no need to aspirate when doing a SQ injection.

Here is what happened to me today. I was injecting HGH into the belly, about one inch above my navel. I ALWAYS aspirate when doing SQ HGH injections. For the first time in about 30 HGH injections, when I aspirated, the syringe began to fill with blood. I pulled out the pin, wiped it with an alcohol swab (U100 syringe so I couldn't change pin) then re-injected.

Would there have been any danger if I had injected on the first stick? I guess I hit a small blood vessel? It was 2 IU (to the 40 line on the U100 syringe).

**lex57** · 04-19-2008, 10:46 AM

try rotating the site....you say you always go 1 inch above the navel, you can develop a so called injection "pad". you should rotate around the navel and i believe proper technique is 2 inches from the navel, but double check. and when doing a sub q injection properly, you dont aspirate and you SHOULD go in on a 45 degree angle, not 90 degrees. you should just be going into the adipose tissue and there shouldnt be any blood vessels there at about a quarter to half inch. hope this helps.

**C_Bino** · 04-19-2008, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by lex57

try rotating the site....you say you always go 1 inch above the navel, you can develop a so called injection "pad". you should rotate around the navel and i believe proper technique is 2 inches from the navel, but double check. and when doing a sub q injection properly, you dont aspirate and you SHOULD go in on a 45 degree angle, not 90 degrees. you should just be going into the adipose tissue and there shouldnt be any blood vessels there at about a quarter to half inch. hope this helps.

Please explain why you dont aspirate when doing sub q?

**lex57** · 04-19-2008, 01:12 PM

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/cgi...pl_1/s112#SEC4

this is just one published report from diabetesjournals . org. as i said in my previous post when done with proper technique aspiration is not neccesary. its not like i just made it up...... i can find more published articles related to the medical field that reinforces what i say if you like.

Injection procedures
Injections are made into the subcutaneous tissue. Most individuals are able to lightly grasp a fold of skin and inject at a 90° angle. Thin individuals or children can use short needles or may need to pinch the skin and inject at a 45° angle to avoid intramuscular injection, especially in the thigh area. Routine aspiration (drawing back on the injected syringe to check for blood) is not necessary. Particularly with the use of insulin pens, the needle should be embedded within the skin for 5 s after complete depression of the plunger to ensure complete delivery of the insulin dose.

Patients should be aware that air bubbles in an insulin pen can reduce the rate of insulin flow from the pen; underdelivery of insulin can occur when air bubbles are present, even if the needle remains under the skin for as long as 10 s after depressing the plunger. Air can enter the insulin pen reservoir during either manufacture or filling if the needle is left on the pen between injections. To prevent this potential problem, avoid leaving a needle on a pen between injections and prime the needle with 2 units of insulin before injection.

**Njord** · 04-19-2008, 02:42 PM

I always aspirate with SQ injections. To rotate the sites I just pinch some skin from above each six-pack. I also inject at a 90 deg angle on the skin fold.

**PimpStick** · 04-19-2008, 03:20 PM

I do rotate, but I think I might have gone a bit too low today...too close to the navel. I do pinch and inject at 90 degrees. I have a lot of midsection BF right now so 90 is okay.

**lex57** · 04-19-2008, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by PimpStick

I do rotate, but I think I might have gone a bit too low today...too close to the navel. I do pinch and inject at 90 degrees. I have a lot of midsection BF right now so 90 is okay.

yep, that is exactly where i was goin with that. the less midsection fat the better off you are to use a 45 degree angle.

**C_Bino** · 04-19-2008, 04:03 PM

I cannot see why they would believe aspiration is not necessary. Either way I suggest to anyone including the thread originator to aspirate when doing sub q.

If someone can legitimately tell me why you dont need to that would be nice. If you are just going to quote a journal that says not to with ABSOLUTELY NO explanation as to why then forget it.

**Manorexic** · 04-19-2008, 04:38 PM

i had always heard that you dont aspirate sub c because fat is not vascular.. the reason for aspirating is to not inject intravenously, but there are no big veins in fat,

**lex57** · 04-19-2008, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by C_Bino

I cannot see why they would believe aspiration is not necessary. Either way I suggest to anyone including the thread originator to aspirate when doing sub q.

If someone can legitimately tell me why you dont need to that would be nice. If you are just going to quote a journal that says not to with ABSOLUTELY NO explanation as to why then forget it.

can you tell me why you would have to? that would be nice too. standard procedure for sub q injections with a 1cc syringe with a 5/16 or 1/2 inch needle is not to aspirate. and if you read in my first post the last sentence answered your question and i just backed it up with some relative documentation. so i will explain once more that," you should just be going into the adipose tissue and there shouldnt be any blood vessels there at about a quarter to half inch. hope this helps. " i cant help it if you are so hell bent on being right that you cant read the explanation right in front of you. so i didnt just quote some journal, i know what i am talking about, i explained it in my first post, i backed it up, but i am sure you know way more than i do, and you will question my "legitimate" explanation. but, you know what better yet.........................i am wrong, you do need to aspirate when doing sub q injections....... because c-bino said so.......now that is legitamate. sorry for questioning you sir and trying to give information that is relavant. but because you disagree with me i will admit i am wrong.

**C_Bino** · 04-20-2008, 09:22 AM

I still never saw an explanation explaining why you dont need to. You say there shouldnt be any blood vessels there. Ya I agree there are no blood vessels IN fat, but neither are their blood vessels IN muscle. So why people think you should aspirate when going into muscle and not fat is beyond me.

Look at yourself when you have a low bf%...you can see veins on top of your muscle right? The ones coming through your skin. So all of those superficial veins that are on top of your muscles are covered by fat when you arent very lean. So why do people not think its possible to go into those superficial veins when you are doing sub-q.