How many ml is in an insulin syringe: how to calculate the insulin dose in units

Currently, the cheapest and easiest way to inject insulin into the human body is using a disposable syringe. Previously, not such concentrated solutions of the drug were produced (1 ml included 40 units of the hormone), which is why it was possible to purchase a syringe to inject a concentration of 40 units / ml.

Today, 1 ml already contains 100 units of the hormone, and in order to enter them into the human body, it is necessary to purchase a syringe for 100 units / ml. There are two types of insulin syringes available at the pharmacy – 40 and 100 U / ml.

That is why patients with a history of diabetes mellitus, whom the doctor recommended the introduction of insulin in a certain dosage, need to figure out how to calculate it correctly, and then enter the appropriate rate.

If you do not understand what the difference is, you can seriously harm your body, and bring it to severe and irreversible consequences, due to the wrong dosage of the drug.

Therefore, you need to find out how much syringe is needed in a given situation, and how many ml is in the insulin syringe?

Syringe marking

So that patients do not get confused, the manufacturer applies a special graduation to the syringe for them, which indicates the concentration of insulin in the medicine bottle. It should be noted that each risk on the cylinder does not mean milliliters of solution at all, it indicates the number of units.

Features of marking division:

• When a syringe is needed for a U40 concentrate, on the marking division, where, as a rule, 0.5 ml is written, an indicator of 20 units is observed, and 40 units are written at the level of 1 ml.
• With all this, 1 insulin unit is equal to 0.025 ml of insulin.
• The U100 syringe has a parameter of 100 units, not 1 ml, and 50 units – 0.5 ml.

Diabetes mellitus involves the use of an insulin syringe of the required concentration. If the patient uses the hormone 40 units / ml, then U40 is mandatory, and when at 100 units / ml, then U100.

Many patients are wondering what will happen in the situation if they make a mistake and use the wrong syringe? For example, when a liquid with a concentration of 40 units / ml is collected in U100, instead of the required 20 units, you will get only 8. That is, the dosage will be two times less than what is needed in this situation.

Another analogue can be given, when U40 and a solution of 100 units / ml are used, but in reality you will get only 50 units, but 20 is needed.

In order for a diabetic to be able to choose the required insulin syringe without any problems, the manufacturers have come up with a specific identification mark that helps to choose the required syringe:

1. The syringe of 40 units has a protective cap with a red tint.
2. A 100 unit syringe has an orange cap.

In a similar way, insulin pens can be distinguished, which are calculated at 100 units. In this regard, if for any reason there is a breakdown or loss of the pen, it is important to know how much volume is in the syringe, or in the insulin pen, and how to distinguish them.

In situations where the patient has purchased the wrong product, an overdose of insulin is not excluded, which can lead to serious consequences, and even death.

How to choose a needle and determine the graduation rate?

The challenge for patients is not only to choose the correct volume of the syringe, but also to choose the needle of the required length. The pharmacy sells two types of needles:

• Detachable view.
• Non-removable view.

Medical experts advise opting for the second option, because removable needles have the ability to retain a certain amount of a drug, the volume of which can be up to 7 units.

To date, needles are produced, the length of which is 8 and 12.7 millimeters. They are not produced less than this length, because vials of medicine with thick rubber stoppers are still sold.

In addition, the thickness of the needle is of no small importance. The fact is that when insulin is injected with a thick needle, the patient will feel painful sensations. And using the thinnest possible needle, the injection is absolutely not felt by the diabetic. In the pharmacy, you can buy syringes with different volumes:

1. 0.3 ml.
2. 0.5 ml.
3. 1 ml.

In the overwhelming majority of cases, patients prefer to opt for 1 ml, which is marked with three types of markings:

• U 40.
• U 100.
• The scale is in milliliters.

In some situations, you can purchase an insulin syringe that has a dual designation. Before injecting yourself with the medicine, you need to determine the entire volume of the syringe. To do this, you must proceed as follows:

1. First, the volume of the 1st division is calculated.
2. Further, the entire volume (indicated on the package) is divided by the number of divisions in the product.
3. Important: you need to count only the intervals.
4. Then you need to determine the volume of one division: all small divisions are counted among all large ones.
5. Then, that large division volume is divided by the number of small divisions.

And only after it turned out to calculate all the divisions, find out their volume, you can dial the required dosage of the medicine and inject the medicine. For example, a product of 40 units = 0.25 ml, and 100 units = 0.1 ml.

How is insulin dosage calculated?

It was found out how much the volume of the syringe is, and when to choose a syringe for U40 or U100, you need to find out how to calculate the dose of the hormone.

The hormone solution is sold in medical-standard packaging, and the dosage is indicated by BID (biological action units), which are labeled “unit”.

Typically, a 5 ml vial contains 200 units of insulin. When recalculated in another way, it turns out that 1 ml of liquid has 40 units of the drug.

Dosage administration features:

• It is advisable to do the injection with a special syringe that has single divisions.
• If a standard syringe is used, then before the dose is administered, the number of units included in each of the divisions must be calculated.

The medicine bottle can be used many times. The medicine must be stored in a cold place, but not in the cold.

When a hormone with a prolonged effect is used, the vial must be shaken to form a homogeneous mixture before taking the medicine. Before administration, the medicine must be warmed to room temperature.

In summing up, it is necessary to summarize that every diabetic should know what the marking of the syringe means, which needle to choose the right one, and how to calculate the correct dosage. Exclusively this knowledge will help to avoid negative consequences and preserve the patient’s health.