Use a clean paper towel to dry your hands. Hand towels can harbor germs and bacteria that will just get your hands dirty again.
Do not ever wipe the alcohol off or attempt to dry it another way, as this could easily contaminate your insulin bottle.
Never shake the vial of NPH insulin, as this can create air bubbles inside the vial that could later make their way into the syringe.
For example, if you will be administering 10 units of insulin, pull up 10 units of air into the syringe.
Make sure you keep your finger firmly on the plunger during this process so that it does not release until you are ready to measure the insulin.
Then remove the syringe and place the insulin bottle back on the flat surface.
For example, if you need 7 units of NPH and 5 units of Novolog/Humalog, you will need to pull in 7 units of air for this first step. Remember that you should always draw up clear insulin (Novolog/Humalog) before cloudy insulin (NPH).
Make sure the bottle of insulin is kept on a flat surface during this whole process.
Do not draw any of the insulin up into the syringe at this time.
Remove the syringe and replace the insulin bottle on the flat surface.
Remove the syringe needle and return the insulin bottle to the flat surface. Be careful not to put pressure on the syringe plunger until you are ready to draw up the second insulin dosage during this step.
