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Nursing vocabulary · Medication Administration

Subcutaneous

Meaning in nursing, with examples

/ˌsʌbkjuːˈteɪniəs/adjectiveCommon term

In nursing, subcutaneous means: Under the skin, in the layer of fat above the muscle; used for injections, such as insulin and some blood-thinning medicines, given into this layer.

In Turkish: deri altı, subkutan

How it is used

Shortened to SC, SubQ or 'sub-cut' in speech; 'SQ' is also seen in the US, though many hospitals discourage it. Common sites are the abdomen, the back of the upper arm and the thigh, and nurses rotate sites to avoid lumps. The adverb is 'subcutaneously': 'given subcutaneously'.

Example sentences

  1. Her enoxaparin is given subcutaneously into the abdomen every evening.

  2. This insulin is for subcutaneous use only.

Common collocations

  • subcutaneous injection
  • given subcutaneously
  • subcutaneous fluids
  • subcutaneous route
  • intramuscularInto a muscle; used for injections given deep into a large muscle, such as in the upper arm, thigh or buttock area.
  • routeThe way a medicine enters the body, for example by mouth (oral), into a vein (IV), into a muscle (IM) or under the skin (subcutaneous).
  • administerTo give a medicine or treatment to a patient, by any route, according to a prescription or protocol.
  • IVShort for intravenous: into a vein. As a noun it also means the line or drip that puts fluid or medicine straight into a vein.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Medication Administration

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.