Diagram for Safer injections
Injecting
Using the smallest needle possible can reduce track marks, swelling, and bruising. See or feel the vein before you start to bang. Clean the area with an alcohol swab. Always inject with the bevel up (the bevel is the sliced angle at the end of the needle).
Hitting an Artery
Never shoot into an artery! An artery has a pulse. You will know if you hit one because it will really hurt, the blood pressure will force the plunger backwards, the blood will look foamy, and it will take longer to stop the bleeding. If this happens, take the needle out right away. Press down hard on the site until bleeding stops. If it does not stop in 5 minutes, you need to go to the hospital right away.
One Needle One Injection
Only use a needle once for one injection. After a needle is used just once, the sharp tip begins to barb or dull. This makes it harder to safely hit a vein the second time and can begin to cause damage increasing the risk of infections or skin abscesses.
