How to inject epinephrine

Last week I ordered a demo kit of the Twinject auto-injector from Paladin Labs (They’ve just been released in Canada). It arrived yesterday afternoon. After trying it out for a while I thought that I would include a demonstration of how to use this and the EpiPen epinephrine auto-injectors for the curious.

Liam carries two EpiPens in his pouch because each dose gives us 10 minutes to get to the nearest hospital. In all cases of anaphylaxis, ensure you seek medical assistance immediately after administering epinephrine (adrenaline).

How to use an EpiPen

Remove the EpiPen from its protective case.

Pop off the safety lock at the top

Jab the EpiPen hard into the outer thigh.
Hold it there for 10 seconds to ensure the dose is administered.

Once you have used the EpiPen, carefully place it back in its case and call 911. Massage the injection site to help disperse the epinephrine into the bloodstream. Be sure to give the used EpiPen to the attending paramedic or triage nurse at the nearest hospital for safe disposal.

How to use a Twinject auto-injector

The Twinject has just been released in Canada. It contains two doses of epinephrine in one container. There is a secondary syringe inside the main injector to be used if the anaphylactic symptoms don’t improve within 10 minutes of the initial dose.

Remove the Twinject from its protective case

Pop off the protective caps at both ends. Keep your hands away from the red tip – that’s where the needle is.

Jab the Twinject hard into the outer thigh.
Hold it there for 10 seconds.

Once the initial dose has been administered, call 911 and massage the injection site to help disperse the epinephrine into the bloodstream. At this point, you should prepare the second dose in case your symptoms don’t improve after 10 minutes.

Unscrew the red cap from the Twinject and carefully remove the syringe – the cap is loosely spring-loaded, so be ready for it.

Pop the yellow collar off of the syringe plunger

If your symptoms do not improve or worsen after 10 minutes, administer the secondary dose.

Inject the syringe into the outer thigh and fully push the plunger.
Hold it there for 10 seconds to ensure a full dose. Massage the injection site to help disperse the epinephrine into the bloodstream.

Whether or not the secondary dose has been used, place the syringe in its protective case and give it to the attending paramedic or triage nurse at the nearest hospital for safe disposal.

If you would like to order your own EpiPen or Twinject demonstrator, you can do so online through these sites:

Twinject Patient Resource Center
EpiPen Resource Center