When I say priming the syringes, it means drawing up more than the dose you intend to use and then expelling the extra, which means losing a little of the solution.
Do you guys prime your syringes?
Summary
Should you prime syringes by drawing extra and expelling air or excess before injecting?
Participants describe different habits for managing air in syringes during dose preparation. Some overdraw then push excess back into the vial without removing the needle, while others draw the intended amount and tap out bubbles. Several note that small air bubbles pose little risk for subcutaneous or IM injections compared to IV use, based on personal experience or medical background.
What this discussion establishes- Priming means drawing more than needed then expelling surplus to avoid air.
- Keeping the needle in the vial makes adjusting the dose easier for some.
- Tapping the syringe removes air without wasting product outside the vial.
- Small air volumes in insulin syringes are considered harmless for subq shots.
- Flicking the syringe remains a habit even when risk is viewed as low.
Whether priming and wasting liquid is necessary or pointless versus simply tapping out air after drawing the correct amount.
Nothing here is advice.
12 replies · 13 people
↳ replying to @QuietPebble47
To avoid injecting any air, obviously.
I draw the right amount while accounting for air bubbles, and then tap the syringe to remove the air.
↳ replying to @GreySparrow64
Yeah, agree. Leave it connected to the vial while removing the air. Films show it for dramatic effect or to show carelessness. Anyway, not much gets wasted. A small air bubble in IM or SQ injection isn't as concerning as in an IV. Not a doctor though, check what fits your risk tolerance.
↳ replying to @GreenPebble78 (opening post)
I prime too, but keep the needle in the vial the whole time. It's simpler to overdraw and then push excess back to the right dose instead of trying to get it exact on the first draw.
I draw a bit extra, say around 1mg, tap out the air, and then return to the proper dose.
I still flick the syringe out of habit, yet I've stopped worrying about small air bubbles since finding out air embolisms don't happen often.
I used to believe spraying it into the air was only for movies. Prior to switching to pens, I'd draw a little too much, tap it, and then push the excess back into the vial to reach the precise dose.
↳ replying to @ClearWillow37
Is it possible to cause an embolism with a subcutaneous injection anyway?
With my medical experience, I used to always remove air before injecting, but eventually understood it doesn't really matter for subcutaneous shots. Theoretically you could hit a vein in the fat layer by mistake, but the tiny air amounts in small insulin syringes, like 0.01 to 0.02 ml, won't kill you via embolism to the heart.
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