As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States alone, approximately 38.4 million people are suffering from diabetes. This accounts for 11.6% of the US population with either diagnosed or undiagnosed disease states. Among these, nearly 8.4 million patients require insulin on a daily basis before every meal to balance their blood sugar hence comes the use of insulin syringes. Owing to their vast utilization, multiple insulin syringe sizes are manufactured and marketed to suit the needs of every patient.
In this article, let us go through the types of insulin syringe sizes and understand how they work.
Insulin Syringe Sizes
For the delivery of different doses of insulin, the following kinds of insulin syringe sizes are available:
· 0.3 ml Insulin Syringes
The insulin syringes with 0.3 ml (milliliters) capacity are suitable for administering less than 30 units of insulin. These have 1-unit intervals and are numbered as ½ unit.
· 0.5 ml Insulin Syringes
The insulin syringes with 0.5 ml capacity are numbered at 1-unit intervals and are suitable for delivering 30 to 50 units of insulin.
· 1.0 ml Insulin Syringes
These 1.0 ml insulin syringes are employed to deliver more than 50 units of insulin and have been numbered at 2 units per interval.
Suitable Needle Size
With different insulin syringe sizes, the sizes of the needles required for the delivery of insulin also change. With 0.3 ml insulin syringes, a needle of 5 mm in length is required which is a shorter one and safer to use in comparison to the longer needles. These shorter needles do not go deeper into the skin and thus the risk of muscle injury is lessened.
However, with the use of 0.5 ml or 1.0 ml insulin syringe sizes, longer needles are required i.e. 8 mm and 12.7 mm respectively. These deliver higher concentrations of insulin into the body.
Suitable Gauge Size
The gauge of a needle refers to the thickness it has. A higher gauge size indicates a thinner needle while a smaller gauge number means that the needle is comparatively thicker. All the needles fall within the gauge range of 28 to 31.
Summary
The following table summarizes the insulin syringe sizes along with their uses and specifications:
| Insulin Syringe Sizes/Barrel Capacity (ml) | Insulin Units | Unit Intervals | Needle Length | Needle Gauge | |
| Inches | Millimeters (mm) | ||||
| 0.3 | Less than 30 insulin units | 1 | 3/16 | 5 | 28 |
| 0.5 | 30 to 50 insulin units | 1 | 5/16 | 8 | 29, 30 |
| 1.0 | More than 50 insulin units | 2 | ½ | 12.7 | 31 |
How to Choose the Right Insulin Syringe Sizes?
In general, a diabetic patient must choose the smallest needle for administering insulin. With shorter needles, the risk of getting an internal injury is minimal. In addition, shorter needles also ensure that the injected insulin remains in the subcutaneous fat as it should.
However, longer needles can penetrate into the muscles or fatty tissue. This can result in other complications. Therefore, one should use a needle size that is most suitable according to their needs.
For selecting the right insulin syringe sizes, the patients need to consult their diabetes care team who can guide them about the size of the needle as well as the units of insulin they need to inject. In short, the following factors are taken into consideration while selecting the right insulin syringe sizes:
· Amount of Insulin
First and foremost, the amount of insulin that is to be injected must be evaluated. For this purpose, refer to your physician who can calculate your insulin units (IU) for you.
· Frequency of Dosing
If a patient administers insulin two to three times a day, the number of units might change every time. For this purpose, one type of insulin syringe is not suitable. Such patients require different insulin syringe sizes. Again, the guidance is to be taken from the patient’s diabetes care team.
· Suitable Syringe Size
Once the number of insulin units has been calculated, the next step is to select a suitable syringe with a barrel size to hold the calculated amount of insulin.
In case of a dose that completely fills the barrel of your insulin syringe, it is better to switch to the next syringe size to ease the handling process.
izes.
Bottom Line
For patients who are dealing with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, the injection of insulin two to three times a day is a routine. For this purpose, insulin syringes are required which can hold insulin in their barrel and allow safe administration into the subcutaneous tissue.
However, to make the insulin administration process painless and free from risks, it is essential to choose the right product among the different insulin syringe sizes. For this purpose, the patient needs to refer to a healthcare provider who can then calculate insulin units for them and provide guidance on the syringe type as well.
As insulin syringes are essential for diabetic patients and are required on a daily basis, it is best to buy them in bulk. In this regard, for purchasing different kinds of insulin syringe sizes, reliable vendors like Health Supply 770 should be approached. They ensure the provision of quality products along with satisfactory services.
References
PhD Scholar (Pharmaceutics), MPhil (Pharmaceutics), Pharm D, B. Sc.
Uzma Zafar is a dedicated and highly motivated pharmaceutical professional currently pursuing her PhD in Pharmaceutics at the Punjab University College of Pharmacy, University of the Punjab. With a comprehensive academic and research background, Uzma has consistently excelled in her studies, securing first division throughout her educational journey.
Uzma’s passion for the pharmaceutical field is evident from her active engagement during her Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) program, where she not only mastered industrial techniques and clinical case studies but also delved into marketing strategies and management skills.
