How to use an epinephrine auto-injector
Other platforms explain it with text and video. In Making Synapses you practice it on the patient.
Give epinephrine early in anaphylaxis. The outer thigh is the site.
Step by step
Indication
Signs of anaphylaxis. [1]
Check
Right patient, not expired, solution clear. [1]
Remove the safety cap
Do not touch the tip. [1]
Inject
Press firmly into the outer thigh (through clothing is fine) and hold as the device instructions say. [1]
Record and dispose
Time; sharps container. [1]
Second dose
After 5 to 15 minutes if no improvement, per protocol. [1]
Common errors
- Thumb over the needle end.
- Injecting into the buttock.
- Not holding long enough.
Practice it in Making Synapses
In Making Synapses you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.
Making Synapses cases that train this skill
- Anaphylaxis in a child
- Urinary tract infection with delirium
- Acute asthma attack
- COPD with pneumonia
- Anaphylaxis from a bee sting
- Allergic rhinitis
9 Making Synapses cases train this skill: open the case library
Sources
Facts and steps follow NREMT psychomotor skill sheets (EMT and Paramedic); National EMS Education Standards (2021). Making Synapses is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.