air bubbles in syringes?

how serious are they? i'm having a difficult time getting air bubbles out and not drawing any in. i'm pulling the syringe slowly, but tapping doesn't seem to move them to the top where i can squirt them out and i'm unsure if it's a health hazard to inject a bubble or if it's a measurement problem.

i'd appreciate info and suggestions! thanks!

What I've been taught about injections (I used to work in a vet clinic) is that air bubbles are only dangerous when you are injecting intravenously. They are a measurement problem, however. A vet showed me that if you let the syringe hang from the vial (that you are holding upside down) while you flick it (the syringe) gently, that will often make the bubbles float up.

i've been trying that but somehow the air bubble doesn't want to move up. i'm getting a bubble in every single syringe and am not sure if it's something with the syringes or i'm doing something wrong.

also, i am using lantus and you're not supposed to agitate it, so i wasn't sure if flicking the syringe was a problem.

Hi Julie, Here is my tip for avoiding bubbles in the syringe. Many here have found that it works:

1. work the plunger back and forth a few times to loosen it up.
2. push the plunger all the way in FORCEFULLY and hold it there.
3. still holding the plunger all the way in, invert the insulin cartridge and insert the needle into the insulin cartridge, ease up on the plunger, and SLOWLY draw out more insulin than you need.
4. with the tip of the needle over a paper towel, slowly TWIST the end of the plunger until you reach your correct dose. (Twisting is easier and more accurate than pushing).
5. give the shot.

The key here is step #2, forcefully holding the plunger all the way in. This expels any air that might be hiding in the syringe and doesn't allow any additional air to get into the syringe.

I use the Monoject syringes, which have a nice, flat plunger and good lines.

Hope this helps,

Ella & Rusty

thanks! i'll try it.

When you 'tap'...use something like a ball-point pen or a table knife.

It gives a sharper tap than just your finger.

Some brands of insulin syringes are more prone to bubbles than others, IMO.

With Lantus, I found that the best ones to use are the BD Ultra Fine ones and the Relion ones. Monojects didn't work because of stubborn air bubbles. With Levemir, the opposite was true: BD Ultra Fine ones had too many stubborn air bubbles (maybe cause Levemir seemed more "sticky" than Lantus) but Monojects worked great.

You could try a different brand of insulin syringes to see if that solves the problem.

these are VetOne - i bought them from the vet, surprisingly! ;-)

they seem to suck up a bubble absolutely every time. Although I tried the pushing the plunger hard before drawing up the insulin and i think that's doing it. i also managed to tap the tiny one that was there out - so thanks everybody!