Air bubbles help

[Nic878]

Sorry to be a pain I feel like im driving everyone nuts, we've drawn the liquid from ampoule and got a massive air bubble we can't get out, the more we try to get it out the bigger it gets we are going to waste half of it getting it out. Any tips please. Then to make it worse just tried another ampoule and loads of glass has gone in when my partners opened it. He is getting himself upset because he knows he needs them and he's struggling to do injections

[topazrat]

Hold the syringe with the needle upwards and sharply flick the syringe with your finger repeatedly and the bubble will work its way up to the top, where you can expel it easily. Another way is to tip and roll the syringe until it goes to the top.

As for the ampoule problem, invest in an ampoule snapper. You can get them online for a few pounds. Also, when you look at the neck of the ampoule, you will see a white dot. Snap it away from the dot, because the glass is scored there to make it snap more cleanly and easily. I so wish ampoule snappers were a thing when I was nursing many years ago, it would have saved many a sliced finger!

[Wwwdot]

Hi Nic

First of all don’t get too worried as when you inject the air bubble will end up in the tip of the syringe as not all the liquid is expelled. I don’t believe air bubbles in this context are too much to worry about.

I get rid of air bubbles by opening the syringe so it becomes full of air and liquid -as if you are still filling it. This gives more room for the air bubble to move to the top of the syringe.

Then gently expel all the air by closing the syringe until you get a little blob of red out of the needle tip. Wipe this on a swab as it can sting if you leave and jab your skin.

What I did when I started was to practice with some coloured juice, drawing up, squirting and even injecting into an orange. The more you practice the easier it becomes.

Regards the ampule snapping, I had terrible problems, cut fingers, glass everywhere etc and I got an ampule snapper. However I then met someone who said snap it up and back not just back - so much easier. Another way is to take the plunger out of a syringe and pop the syringe over the ampule - like a 🎩 top hat. That works too.

Early days but sounds like you are making great progress!

🤗🤗🤗

[Bellabab in reply to Wwwdot]

I also use the outside part of a 2ml. syringe to do that - and its free,

[Wwwdot in reply to Bellabab]

Hi Bellabab

Someone on this forum made that suggestion to me when I was having problems snapping the ampules - but I had already ordered a snapper, but it does work because I tried it just in case I ever needed to.

However, I recently forgot my snapper, and had to resort to my emergency B12 stash which didn't have a snapper and I didn't have a spare syringe either!

I remembered a recent conversation I had had with a colleague and they said don't snap back but snap up and back - hey presto!! It works!!

Little things can be such a huge challenge!

🤗🤗🤗

[Narwhal10]

Hi Nic878,

Please neither of you stress. It really does not matter if you waste or loose half.

Yes, half being 0.5 mls. This is because we only need approximately 0.3 mls. The rest we excrete out in urine.

Like topazrat has said health professionals have accidents with glass ampules of all sorts of medication. We just shrug, say oops, then sort it out.

😊

[Orchard33]

Flick sharply at the needle end of the syringe not the plunger end.

[pinkpaddleboarder]

I found a tip.on here to snap the top.off using an empty syringe tube. Pull.the plunger out snd use the empty tube to snap the top off. I bought a snapper but didn't get on with it. Good luck.

[Wheat]

sorry you are having problems.

This is the way I do it, I use a (ebay or amazon) plastic ampule snapper approx £3 to £4, it saves cut fingers.

Then with the syringe/needle pointing downwards I remove the needle cap. Sharply flick the syringe until needle yellow part appears full and all air bubbles are at the top of the syringe nearest the plunger end. I then inject the solution. Having the air at the top pushes the liquid through but has never yet entered the needle. Just to be sure I watch it carefully.

Very rarely I do have a small bubble in syringe needle end, inverting syringe and tapping again can cure this.

[wedgewood]

Also, please do not get too wound up if you do inject a bubble of air . It is not dangerous if injecting I.M. or sub-cut . It can be dangerous if injected intravenously , which we do not do .. …..

[Monkharris]

Until you get an ampoule snapper , (if you do) - the little wrapper that the syringe comes in, is helpful to hold the glass ampoule top with to protect fingers as you snap. Also, look for the little white dot on the neck of the ampoule, that indicates the weak point where you should aim to snap back from. Finally, make sure the needle is pointing completely upwards to the ceiling to expel the air bubble, and have a tissue to catch the liquid so it doesn't mark anything. The ampoules normally have slightly more than you need to allow for drawing up. If you are worried about glass fragments, you can buy filter needles for drawing up, but they are quite a bit more expensive than regular blunt drawing up needles. It does get easier, you will soon be a dab hand .

[B12again]

Breaking the top of the ampoule is straight forward. I learnt it from a YouTube video, I’m glad I found it as I’m sure I would have fingers full of plasters. There is a dot on the neck of the ampoule. Point the dot away from you, take the lower part of the ampoule (make sure you empty the top half out of any liquid) firmly in the fingers of one hand, then with the thumb and two fingers of the other hand grip about a third of the top part and give a little but firm snap movement towards yourself and it will break cleanly at the neck. Good luck.

[Newhealth]

I find using a smaller gauge insulin syringe, like a 30 gauge eliminates this issue.