Sometimes, after intramuscular injections , a seal may form at the site of their implementation. In medicine, it is called an infiltrate, and it is characterized by the accumulation of cellular elements containing impurities of lymph and blood in the tissues of the body. In most cases, an inflammatory infiltrate occurs after an injection, mainly consisting of white blood cells (then called purulent) and red blood cells (then called hemorrhagic).
Reasons for the formation of compaction
Infiltrate after an injection can appear for many reasons. The most common of them are such as the wrong choice of injection site or constant injections in one place, the injection with a short or blunt needle. In order not to form an infiltrate after the injection, it is necessary to follow some recommendations. So, it is necessary to strictly observe aseptic rules in order to prevent the penetration of infectious agents into the wound, because this can be fraught with complications, for example, an abscess. You should pay attention to the length of the needle, as already mentioned, it should not be short. Infiltrate after an injection can occur if the injected substance does not resolve, especially oil solutions. In this case, a dense cone appears at the injection site. If, besides this, a bruise is also noticeable, it means that a certain amount of blood flowed out from the blood vessel that was damaged by the needle under the skin.
Infiltrate after injection: how to treat compaction
If the accumulation of cellular elements at the injection site in the general condition of a person does not cause changes, and suppuration does not occur, nothing should be done. Usually, within 2 weeks, the appeared infiltrate disappears after the injection. Treatment in most cases is not required. You can not massage the affected area, trying to ensure that the seal resolves. This is fraught with the development of complications. The need for therapy arises only in the event of an infectious process involving an abscess. In this case, antibiotic therapy is prescribed, and if necessary, surgical intervention is also performed.
If you still want the infiltrate formed after the injection to dissolve faster, you can use such harmless methods of help as drawing
iodine mesh at the injection site and applying compresses from the leaves of cabbage to this place (in cabbage leaves you first need to make cuts with a knife so that juice stood out). It is not recommended to warm the infiltrate with a heating pad.
Complications
As already noted, the only possible complication with the appearance of a seal at the injection site is the development of an abscess - an inflammatory condition in which tissue melts and a cavity with purulent contents forms in their place. Signs that an abscess begins may include redness of the affected area, tenderness of compaction, high temperature at the site of infiltration. An abscess must be treated, and only a doctor should do this. Self-medication is fraught with aggravation of the condition.