A short how to video guide about glucagen injections.
Produced by the UCLH children and young people’s diabetes service.
Step 1. Check that the orange plastic cap on your vial of GlucaGen® is firmly attached. Do not use if the cap is loose or missing. With your thumb, flip the cap off the GlucaGen® vial. Pull Straight Off
Step 2. Pick up the prefilled syringe containing sterile water. Do not use any other liquid to mix the medicine. Hold the syringe with 1 hand. With your other hand, pull the needle cover off the syringe. Do not remove the plastic backstop from the syringe.
Step 3. Pick up the GlucaGen® vial of dry powder. Hold the vial with 1 hand. With your other hand, push the needle of the prefilled syringe through the center of the rubber
stopper.
Step 4. Hold the vial and syringe together, with the needle still inserted into the vial. Carefully turn the vial and syringe together right side up. Slowly push the plunger down until the syringe is empty. Do not take the syringe out of the vial.
Step 5. Firmly hold both the vial and syringe together in one hand, and gently shake until the powder is completely dissolved. Do not use if a gel has formed, or if you see particles in the solution. Do not take the syringe out of the vial.
Step 6. With the needle still inserted into the vial, carefully turn the vial and syringe together upside down. Gently pull down on the plunger and slowly withdraw all of the liquid into the syringe. Do not pull the plunger out of the syringe.
Step 7. Keep the needle inside the vial. Check the syringe for air bubbles. If you see bubbles, tap the syringe until the bubbles rise to the top of the syringe. Gently push on the plunger to move only the air bubbles back into the vial.
1 mL
0.5 mL
Step 8. Hold the vial and syringe as shown.
• The usual dose for adults and children who weigh more than 55 pounds (25 kg) is 1 mg (1 mL). Use the content of the full syringe (1 mL).
• The usual dose for children who weigh less than 55 pounds (25 kg) is 0.5 mg (0.5 mL). Gently push the plunger until it is at the 0.5 mL mark on the syringe to ensure there is 0.5 mL liquid left in the syringe. Take the syringe and needle out of the vial when the correct dose of GlucaGen® is in the syringe.
If you do not know how much the child weighs:
• Give a child under 6 years of age 0.5 mg (0.5 mL).
• Give a child 6 years of age and older 1 mg (1 mL).