title: Insulin administration: selecting the appropriate needle and individualizing the injection technique.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with diabetes who receive insulin therapy often fail to meet their targets for metabolic control with insulin injections. Their inadequate glycemic control may be related to incorrect injection procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review examines the latest data related to insulin injection and needle characteristics, which play an integral role in patient satisfaction. Searches of Medline and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases were conducted. Results show that optimal insulin injection can facilitate glycemic control in pediatric and adult patients. In general, needles shorter than 8 mm are appropriate for normal weight, obese pediatric and adult patients. However, body mass index, gender, race, age and injection site can influence the depth of subcutaneous tissue and thus, the desired needle size and injection technique. Although the abdomen, thighs and buttocks are all recommended injection sites, abdominal injections disperse insulin slightly more rapidly than thigh injections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Wider acceptance of needles shorter than 6 mm will occur with more evidence of their safety and efficacy, particularly in children. Development of shorter and thinner needles to make injections even easier and less burdensome may be expected in the future.
authors.affiliation: Aarhus University Hospital, Medical Endocrinology Department MEA, Noerrebrogade 44, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. bh@ki.au.dk
authors.forename: Birtha
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Matytsina
mesh_terms: D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007267:Injections / Q000379:methods*; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009339:Needles
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin