Injection is an administration of drugs into the human body, overcoming at least one physical barrier, such as the skin. An injection itself is performed with a syringe onto which a cannula has been inserted. Injected drugs have a faster and stronger effect, as far fewer physical barriers have to be overcome on the way to the desired site of action than is the case with injections.
Injections, in various forms, are quite common in diagnosis and treatment in everyday clinical practice and are part of the training of physicians and healthcare professionals. There are standard injections without much risk of complications, such as injection into the subcutis, as well as more sophisticated and risky injections, such as in peridural anesthesia, where they are placed close to the spinal cord.
Caution:
Any injection performed on a patient by healthcare professionals is an invasion of bodily integrity. The patient’s consent and the specialist knowledge or qualification of the person performing the injection are basic prerequisites for an injection.
In everyday clinical practice, different demands are placed on injection cannulas during diagnostics, long-term and acute treatment, and various nursing activities. The three most common types of injection are:
Subcutaneous injection
The subcutis is the tissue lying deeper in the skin and consists mainly of fat cells. Injections into the subcutis are primarily intended to provide a depot effect for the drugs, as the fat cells in the tissue slowly release the drugs into the capillary blood vessels over a longer period of time. This type of injection is not very painful, has relatively few complications, and can even be performed by the patient himself, for example in the treatment of diabetes. Insulin and heparin are the best-known drugs in a subcutaneous injection.
Intramuscular injection
In intramuscular injections, the active substance to be administered is injected directly into the patient’s muscle. In these injections, a slow and long-lasting onset of the active ingredient is desired, such as in vaccinations. Because of the complications that can occur with this injection, it should only be performed by trained professionals. Complications can include periosteal injury, nerve damage, paralysis, and syringe abscesses. The most common medications used in an intramuscular injection are pain relievers, cortisone preparations, vaccines, and hormonal contraceptives.
Intravenous injection
Intravenous injection is considered to be a technically more demanding type of injection. Without a venous catheter in place, the vein must first be punctured before a drug can be applied. The advantage of this injection is the very rapid onset of action via the bloodstream and the possibility of administering larger amounts of fluid than with other injections. Because of the rapid onset of action, intravenous injection is particularly important in emergency medicine and is very often used. Hygienic guidelines for intravenous injections must be observed as a matter of urgency in order to avoid infection of the injection site with bacteria or other pathogens.
Sterican cannula – designed for everyday clinical use
Sterican cannulas have been designed directly for daily and ubiquitous use in a clinical environment and have been used successfully for years. Due to the hectic daily routine in healthcare facilities, injection cannulas must be reliable in performance and easy to handle.
B. Braun offers Sterican cannulas in various sizes to enable various types of injections and injection techniques to be performed professionally, safely, with little pain and quickly.
Sterican cannulas from B. Braun are used on a daily basis:
✓ Clinics
✓ Nursing homes
✓ nursing services
✓ Rehabilitation facilities
✓ Psychiatric facilities
✓ Dental practice
✓ Specialist practice
✓ Family practice
✓ Veterinary practice
✓ Ambulance service
Sterican cannulas are single-use products. This means they are individually and sterilely packaged and are disposed of properly after single use.
Of course, Sterican injection cannulas from B. Braun are latex-, DEHP- and PVC-free, certified according to ISO 7864 and DIN 13097, and color-coded according to ISO 6009.
