Intramuscular injections deliver drugs directly into muscles for rapid action or when oral administration is not possible. Different sites can be used, and the technique is easy enough for home treatment. A sterile needle is used, and it is important to dispose of it properly.
An intramuscular injection is an injection that delivers the drug directly into a muscle. From the muscle, the drug will travel to the rest of the body via the cardiovascular system. This method of drug delivery can be used for drugs that cannot be administered orally for various reasons or when rapid action is desired. Some examples of drugs that can be given intramuscularly include: vaccines, antibiotics, steroids, pain management drugs, and sex hormones.
Different sites can be used for intramuscular injections. The buttocks are a well-known location, but injections can also be given in the thigh, leg, and deltoid muscles. The choice of injection site depends on a number of factors. Selecting an area with ample muscle padding is important, and many clinicians also prefer to rotate intramuscular injection sites, especially if a patient needs multiple injections. Some injections are more likely to cause bruising and pain than others, which can influence the choice of a site, and some doctors have a personal preference.
The technique involved in an intramuscular injection is easy enough that people can do it at home. Home treatment for certain conditions may involve giving medications intramuscularly, with the patient giving the injections themselves or a doctor giving the injections if the patient is unable to. Learning the procedure takes a few minutes in a nurse or doctor’s office, and most people become proficient very quickly.
A clean, sterile needle is used for an intramuscular injection. The drug is drawn into the body of the needle from an ampoule or ampoule, the injection site is sterilized and the needle is introduced into the site. People who have to give intramuscular injections are usually shown how to hold and insert the needle to reduce pain and make sure the drug ends up in the desired location. They are also trained in selecting the correct size needle for the medication. It is important that the barrel can hold the required dose securely and that the needle hole used will accommodate the medication if it is viscous.
Once the intramuscular injection is complete, the needle is disposed of in a sharps container and the injection site may be bandaged in case it bleeds a little, although this is not necessary. It is generally recognized as dangerous to reuse needles, even on the same patient, because they can acquire infectious material that could harm the patient and because each use dulls the needle, which can make reusing needles very painful.
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