How do you give an intramuscular injection?

How to administer an intramuscular injection
  1. Follow these steps for a safe intramuscular injection:
  2. Remove the cap.
  3. Draw air into the syringe.
  4. Insert air into the vial.
  5. Withdraw the medication.
  6. Remove air bubbles.
  7. Insert the needle.
  8. Check for blood.

Do you pinch skin for IM injection?

Insert needle at an 45o angle to the skin. Pinch up on SQ tissue to prevent injecting into muscle. Multiple injections given in the same extremity should be separated as far as possible (preferably at least 1” apart).

How do you give an IM injection in the deltoid?

Giving an IM injection into the deltoid site
  1. Find the knobbly top of the arm (acromion process)
  2. The top border of an inverted triangle is two finger widths down from the acromion process.
  3. Stretch the skin and then bunch up the muscle.
  4. Insert the needle at a right angle to the skin in the centre of the inverted triangle.

Where are intramuscular injections given?

Where should an intramuscular (IM) injection be given? Nurses learn there are four possible sites: the arm (deltoid); thigh (vastus lateralis); upper outer posterior buttock (gluteus maximus), also referred to as the dorsogluteal site; and the lateral hip (gluteus medius), also called the ventrogluteal site.

What size needle is used for intramuscular injection?

Intramuscular (IM) injections

Needle length is usually 1″–1½”, 22–25 gauge, but a longer or shorter needle may be needed depending on the patient’s weight. Note: An alternate site for IM injection in adults is the anterolateral thigh muscle.

What happens if you give an IM injection wrong?

The microbes in injection substances, injection equipment or already-existing on the skin, can enter the body causing very serious infections. Similarly, incorrect injection techniques or erroneous injection locations, can cause blood vessel breakage, muscle or nerve damage and paralysis.

What happens if you give an IM injection too high?

Adjuvants can cause an exaggerated local reaction (e.g., pain, swelling, redness) if not injected into the muscle, so proper technique is critical. There are only two routinely recommended IM sites for administration of vaccines, the vastus lateralis muscle (anterolateral thigh) and the deltoid muscle (upper arm).

Is IM injection safe?

This muscle is a very safe injection site for adults and infants more than 7 months old because it is thick and located away from major nerves and blood vessels. But it can be challenging to self-administer medication into the hip.

Can you hit bone when giving an IM injection?

A needle that is too long can penetrate the deltoid muscle, hitting the bone. Although patients will not feel their bones being hit, the vaccine might not fully absorb into the muscle, leading to a reduced immune response.

Should you aspirate before giving an IM injection?

Aspiration before injection of vaccines or toxoids (i.e., pulling back on the syringe plunger after needle insertion but before injection) is not necessary because no large blood vessels are present at the recommended injection sites, and a process that includes aspiration might be more painful for infants (22).

What happens if you hit a blood vessel while injecting?

Injecting a blood vessel can cause serious complications in rare cases. However, the likelihood of hitting a blood vessel in the subcutaneous fat is extremely rare. More than likely, if there is blood, it is from slight bleeding after the injection.

What happens if a needle hits bone?

A needle that is too long may pass through the deltoid muscle and hit the bone instead. While the patient will not feel if you hit the bone, the vaccine may not be fully absorbed into the muscle, leading to reduced immunity.

How do you give an injection without pain?

Minimizing the Pain
  1. If you can, make sure your medicine is at room temperature.
  2. Wait until the alcohol you used to clean where you’re going to inject is dry.
  3. Always use a new needle.
  4. Get the air bubbles out of the syringe.
  5. Make sure the needle is lined up right going in and coming out.
  6. Stick the needle in quickly.

What is a syringe needle made of?

Manufacture. Hypodermic needles are normally made from a stainless-steel tube through a process known as tube drawing where the tube is drawn through progressively smaller dies to make the needle. The end of the needle is bevelled to create a sharp pointed tip, letting the needle easily penetrate the skin.

How painful is the injection?

The pain of most injections is usually brief. The fear and anticipation of getting a shot is often worse than the shot itself. Our medical assistants give injections all day long. They are fast, efficient, and often over before the kids know it, but there are still some things that we can do to minimize the discomfort.

Which is the most painful injection?

Cervical Cancer Vaccine Called Most Painful Shot.

Should you rub an injection site?

Generally, rubbing or massaging the injection site area should be avoided through the time the medicine is expected to reach peak levels to avoid intended absorption patterns.

How long should an IM injection hurt?

While it not uncommon to have localized swelling or redness for a day or two following an injection (or even longer for certain types of intramuscular shots), those that are deeply felt, tender to the touch, or accompanied by fever, body aches, or creeping discoloration should never be ignored.

Why are intramuscular injections so painful?

The pain you are experiencing is usually soreness of the muscle where the injection was given. This pain is also a sign that your immune system is making antibodies in response to the viruses in the vaccine.

What happens if you accidentally inject air into muscle?

Injecting a small air bubble into the skin or a muscle is usually harmless. But it might mean you aren’t getting the full dose of medicine, because the air takes up space in the syringe.

How do you give an intramuscular B12 injection?

Take your thumb and index finger to pinch about 1 ½ inches of skin and inject the needle into the pinched skin. Slowly push the plunger to administer vitamin B12.

Do you massage after intramuscular injection?

Deep, firm massage of muscle tissue following an intramuscular injection favors the spread of the depot over a wider tissue area so favoring the absorption rate.