Title: Injecting insulin
Course: Non-Communicable Diseases, Emergency Care and Mental Health Part 1 - Ethiopia (Full)

Injecting insulin

As a community health worker you are expected to teach people with diabetes how to inject themselves with insulin if it is ordered by a doctor. In Study Session 4 of the Immunization Module you learned about giving subcutaneous injections (see Figure 2.5a), i.e. an injection where the tip of the needle penetrates just below the skin into the fatty layer beneath. Insulin is injected subcutaneously using a short fine needle. The usual sites for injection are the thighs, hip area, abdomen or outer arms (Figure 2.5b).

Figure 2.5 (a) Diagram showing the penetration of a subcutaneous needle for injecting insulin. (b) Preferable injection sites for insulin. (Sources: (a) WHO/UNICEF, 2009, Immunization in Practice Modules for Health Workers; (b) The Open University, 2006, Living with Diabetes, Figure 4.2)