Administering Medication by Injection

1. Administering Medication by Injection

2. Medications are given by injection to: • achieve a fast response • ensure that correct amount is absorbed • provide medication when it cannot be given another way • provide anesthesia to a specific part of the body • place medication in a specific area, such a joint

3. Do not give injections in body areas that are: • burned • cyanotic (bluish in color) • close to large blood vessels, bones, or nerves • swollen • bruised, injured, or scarred • unusual in skin texture or color, or enlarges (e.g. moles or warts)

4. The most common containers in which medicines come: • Prefilled disposable syringes or cartridges • Ampules(small glass container with narrow neck) • Vials(closed glass container with rubber stopper which is covered by a thin metal flap)

5. Syringes • Measuring devices that allow you to force medication through a needle at tip of the syringe • Parts of a syringe: • Barrel– clear cylindrical part with metric markings • Plunger– movable end of syringe that fits in the barrel on which you pull to aspirate or push to inject • Luerlock – small circular end of syringe with screw-like threads on which needle twists in place. • Tip– small round extended portion which extends from luer lock and goes directly into the base of the needle canula

6. Syringe • Tip • Luer lock • Barrel • Plunger

7. Needles • Syringe needles come in different lengths & diameters of needle opening (lumen) • Needle lengths range from ½ to 2 inches • Determine needle length according to where you want medication in tissue • intradermal injection (between skin) – requires a short, ½ to 5/8-inch needle for medication that goes just under the skin. • intramuscular injection – requires a long enough needle to reach the muscle (usually 1 ½ to 2 inches long). • subcutaneous injection - requires a 5/8- to 1 inch needle to reach subcutaneous tissue.

8. Needles (cont.) • Needle diameter – measures the opening of the needle also called the gauge • Gauges range between 14 & 27. • as size of gauge increases, the diameter of needle opening (lumen) decreases

9. Lumen • Example: a 25-gauge needle has a small opening (lumen) but a 16-gauge needle has a large opening.

10. Preventing Needle Sticks • Never recap unless using the “one hand swoop” • Neverlay a syringe down after giving an injection (immediately place in puncture-resistant sharps container • Empty sharps containers when they are 3/4th full • Always close lid tightly on sharps container when moving it to avoid spills

11. Various Methods of Giving Injections • Intradermal– given just under the surface of the skin • Purpose – to administer allergy test and TB skin test • Amount – usually between 0.1 and 0.3 mL subcutaneous tissue • Sites – anterior forearm, distal to antecubital space

12. Intradermal Intradermal injection into top layer of skin.

13. Various Methods of Giving Injections • Subcutaneous ("Sub Q”) – given in the subcutaneous tissue layer • Purpose – to achieve quick absorption of medication into bloodstream • Amount – no more than 2 mL • Sites – upper outer arm, abdomen, anterior thigh, scapular portion of the back

14. Subcutaneous ("Sub Q”) subcutaneous injection (“sub Q”)

15. Various Methods of Giving Injections • Intramuscular (IM) injections – given in muscle tissue • Purpose – maximum gradual absorption of medication into bloodstream • Amount – 2 to 5 mL. (doses of 4 to 5 mL should be divided in half and administered in two injections) • Sites – deltoid, dorsal gluteal, vastuslateralis of the thigh, or ventral gluteal • Note - No more than 1mL in the deltoid muscle

16. Intramuscular (IM) intramuscular injection (IM)

17. Hands-on Activity • Now for practice......... • Listen for instructions! • Be very careful!