Injections

Question 1

what are the 4 anatomical site for sub-cutaneous injections?

Answer 1

1. thighs
2. arms
3. abdomen
4. buttocks

Question 2

what are the 4 anatomical sites for intramuscular injections?

Answer 2

1. deltoid (shoulder)
2. ventrogluteal (hip)
3. dorsogluteal (buttocks)
4. vastus lateralis (thigh)

Question 3

what gauge needle is used for sub-cutaneous injections?

Answer 3

25G or 26G

Question 4

what gauge needle is used for intramuscular injection?

Answer 4

21G or 23G

Question 5

explain the steps of preparing an intra-muscular injection (7)

Answer 5

1. infection control
2. 10 rights
3. open ampoule (using gauze to prevent injury)
4. check ampoule for cloudiness/broken glass
5. draw up and aspirate solution in syringe
6. two-needle approach (Agar & Gunes, 2010)
7. dispose first needle into sharps and replace with second needle

Question 6

explain the steps of administering an intra-muscular injection (8-14)

Answer 6

8. put on gloves
9. locate injection site
10. insert 90* using other hand to pull skin taute (Z-track)
11. plunge 1ml/10secs for patient comfort (Dougherty & Lister, 2015) and wait 10secs before removing needle
12. dispose needle in to sharps (do not resheath)
13. remove gloves and wash hands
14. document on patient chart