Subcutaneous injection - wikipedia Subcutaneous injection `` Subcut '' redirects here. For the song by Grand Mixer DXT featuring Bill Laswell, see Aftermathematics. Play media 3D animation of a subcutaneous injection A subcutaneous injection is administered as a bolus into the subcutis, the layer of skin directly below the dermis and epidermis, collectively referred to as the cutis. Subcutaneous injections are highly effective in administering vaccines and medications such as insulin, morphine, diacetylmorphine and goserelin. Subcutaneous ( as opposed to intravenous ) injection of recreational drugs is referred to as `` skin popping. '' Subcutaneous administration may be abbreviated as SC, SQ, sub-cu, sub-Q, SubQ, or subcut. Subcut is the preferred abbreviation for patient safety. Subcutaneous tissue has few blood vessels and so drugs injected here are for slow, sustained rates of absorption. It is slower than intramuscular injections but still faster than intradermal injections. Contents 1 Injection sites 2 Equipment 3 Procedure 4 Subcutaneous insulin injections in diabetes mellitus 5 See also 6 References Injection sites Subcutaneous injection sites Sites include, The outer area of the upper arm. The abdomen, from the rib margin to the iliac crest and avoiding a 2 - inch circle around the navel. This has the fastest rate of absorption among the sites. The front of the thigh, midway to the outer side, 4 inches below the top of the thigh to 4 inches above the knee. This has a slower rate of absorption than the upper arm. The upper back. The upper area of the buttock, just behind the hip bone. This has the slowest rate of absorption among the sites. Equipment A 25 to 31 gauge thick, 3 / 8 '' to 1 '' long needle can be used. The size is determined by the amount of subcutaneous tissue present, which is based on patient build. The 3 / 8 '' and 5 / 8 '' needles are most commonly used. Usually, no more than 1 mL of solution is given, compared to intradermal injections, where no more than 0.5 mL is usually given. Procedure Subcutaneous injections are inserted at 45 to 90 degree angles, depending on amount of subcutaneous tissue present and length of needle - a shorter, 3 / 8 '' needle is usually inserted 90 degrees and a 5 / 8 '' needle is usually inserted at 45 degrees. Medication is administered slowly, about 10 seconds / milliliter. Subcutaneous insulin injections in diabetes mellitus An insulin pump with a subcutaneous injection site. A person with insulin - dependent ( either type 1 or type 2 ) diabetes mellitus typically injects insulin subcutaneously. The injection should be given under the skin, into the fat layer. See also Intramuscular injection Intravenous injection Intradermal injection References Jump up ^ `` subcutaneous injection '' at Dorland 's Medical Dictionary Jump up ^ `` ISMP 's List of Error - Prone Abbreviations, Symbols, and Dose Designations '' ( PDF ). www.ismp.org. 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2013. ^ Jump up to : Taylor, C.R., Lillis, C., LeMone, P., Lynn, P. ( 2011 ) Fundamentals of nursing : The art and science of nursing care. Philadelphia : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, page 749. Jump up ^ `` Insulin Administration ''. Diabetes Care. 25 ( suppl 1 ) : s112 -- s115. January 2002. doi : 10.2337 / diacare. 25.2007. s112. Routes of administration, dosage forms Oral Digestive tract ( enteral ) Solids Pill Tablet Capsule Pastille Time release technology Osmotic delivery system ( OROS ) Liquids Decoction Elixir Electuary Emulsion Extended - release syrup Effervescent powder or tablet Herbal tea Hydrogel Molecular encapsulation Powder Softgel Solution Suspension Syrup Syrup Concentrate for dilution and / or addition of carbonated water Tincture Buccal ( sublabial ), sublingual Solids Orally disintegrating tablet ( ODT ) Film Lollipop Sublingual drops Lozenges Effervescent buccal tablet Chewing gum Liquids Mouthwash Toothpaste Ointment Oral spray Respiratory tract Solids Smoking device Dry - powder inhaler ( DPI ) 0 0 Liquids Anaesthetic vaporizer Vaporizer Nebulizer Metered - dose inhaler ( MDI ) Gas Oxygen mask and Nasal cannula Oxygen concentrator Anaesthetic machine Relative analgesia machine Ophthalmic, otologic, nasal Nasal spray Ear drops Eye drops Ointment Hydrogel Nanosphere suspension Insufflation Mucoadhesive microdisc ( microsphere tablet ) Urogenital Ointment Pessary ( vaginal suppository ) Vaginal ring Vaginal douche Intrauterine device ( IUD ) Extra-amniotic infusion Intravesical infusion Rectal ( enteral ) Ointment Suppository Enema Solution Hydrogel Murphy drip Nutrient enema Dermal Ointment Topical cream Topical gel Liniment Paste Film DMSO drug solution Electrophoretic dermal delivery system Hydrogel Liposomes Transfersome vesicles Cream Lotion Lip balm Medicated shampoo Dermal patch Transdermal patch Contact ( rubbed into break in the skin ) Transdermal spray Jet injector Injection, infusion ( into tissue / blood ) Skin Intradermal Subcutaneous Transdermal implant Organs Intracavernous Intravitreal Intra-articular injection Transscleral Central nervous system Intracerebral Intrathecal Epidural Circulatory, musculoskeletal Intravenous Intracardiac Intramuscular Intraosseous Intraperitoneal Nanocell injection Patient - Controlled Analgesia pump PIC line WikiProject Pharmacy portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Subcutaneous_injection&oldid=865712764 '' Categories : Dosage forms Routes of administration Injection ( medicine ) Talk Contents About Wikipedia Dansk Deutsch Español فارسی Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Nederlands Norsk Polski Português Slovenščina Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 7 more Edit links This page was last edited on 25 October 2018, at 17 : 33 ( UTC ). 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Question: what is the site of delivery for subcutaneous injections
Answer: the subcutis,[1] the layer of skin directly below the dermis and epidermis, collectively referred to as the cutis