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Video Transcript
Anticoagulants—also known as blood thinners—are medicines that help treat and prevent problems caused by blood clots.
Enoxaparin is an example of this type of medicine.
Some of these medicines are given as injections, or shots.
This video will show you how to give yourself this kind of a shot.
Depending on what your doctor prescribed, you may have to give yourself a shot once or twice a day using prefilled syringes.
This means that the syringes already have the medicine in them.
You'll need to give yourself the shot at the same time every day, unless your doctor gives you other instructions.
Your doctor will tell you how long you'll need to take your blood thinner.
Now here's how you give yourself the shot.
First, have all your supplies ready.
You'll need the syringe.
You'll also need an alcohol wipe or a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol.
Wash your hands with soap and water, and dry them well.
Next, choose a spot on your belly to give the shot—at least 2 inches or about 5 centimeters—to the side of your belly button.
Clean that area of your skin using the alcohol wipe or cotton ball.
Let it dry.
Then remove the cap from the needle, and hold the syringe like a pencil, keeping your fingers off the plunger.
You may see an air bubble.
It's okay.
Unless your doctor tells you to, you don't have to remove the bubble.
Now slightly pinch a fold of skin where you will give the shot.
Hold the syringe at a 90-degree angle to your skin so the syringe is standing straight out, right above the place where you'll give the shot.
Quickly push the needle all the way into the pinched-up fold of skin.
Then push the plunger all the way in, so that the medicine empties out of the syringe.
As you're giving the shot, keep holding the fold of skin so that you don't inject the medicine into muscle.
Take the needle out at the same angle you put it in, and then let go of your skin.
Point the needle away from you.
Depending on the type of syringe you have, do not try to recap.
Instead, use the manufacturer's safety device.
And throw away the needle and the syringe in a safe place, such as a special contain for needles.
Never use the same needle more than once.
If you bleed a little, that's okay.
Put pressure on the spot with your finger, a cotton ball, or a piece of gauze.
Don't rub the area, since this can cause bruising.
Also make sure to give the shot in a slightly different spot each time you do it.
This can help avoid bruising.
At first, giving yourself an injection may feel a little stressful.
But before you know it, it will probably feel like a normal part of your care routine.
And remember, you can call your care team if you have any problems.