Injection, although this may sound mysterious to someone, is nothing more than a well-known injection. Often it causes concern not only among children, but also among adults - especially if the injection is performed independently for the first time. And such a situation occurs even though this procedure is studied, almost painless and safe. In some cases, patients who have wondered how to properly inject an injection into the shoulder intramuscularly are able to cope with this process themselves. Easily performed by his doctor after training or a nurse at home.
Benefits and Complications
The question of how to make an injection in the shoulder intramuscularly is asked by many people, since this type of injection is the most common. It consists in the introduction of a solution of the drug into the muscles of the upper limbs; they are well supplied with blood, as are the buttock or femoral muscles. Injection is an alternative to oral medication and has several undeniable advantages. Firstly, in this case absorption through the gastrointestinal tract is excluded, which protects its mucous membrane from the aggressive effects of certain drugs, and also makes the solution absorbed into the blood much faster (even within 10-15 minutes) than it does when taken orally, tablets.
Gluteal muscle injection is the most common form for injecting solutions, because this place is the least painful at the time of needle insertion. Another common injection site is the thigh. Injection into the shoulder is performed less often because of the risk of muscle damage, and only if a small amount of drugs is administered. Therefore, it is important to familiarize yourself with the instructions before giving yourself an intramuscular injection. Due to the risk of complications, such as infections, nerve damage, or needle breakage, injections should be performed carefully.
The procedure itself is painless and, as a rule, does not occur after it any serious complications. Rarely, an allergic reaction to the administered drug may occur. And this is the first thing to check before injecting subcutaneously into the shoulder. If the patient for a long time administers a medicine, for example, insulin, the injection site should be changed daily. This prevents the occurrence of scars, which, at least, adversely affect the absorption of the substance.
Execution technique
For proper subcutaneous injection, the patient captures a fold of skin and decisively moves the needle at an angle of 90 degrees. After the contents of the entire syringe are completely empty, you need to wait a few seconds, carefully remove the needle, and then attach the gauze to the injection site. It is extremely important to observe the rules of asepsis. You should remember about skin disinfection: before proceeding with the procedure, it is important to treat the injection site in the shoulder with alcohol. It is also necessary to use disposable syringes, needles and sterile gauze.
Another important point in the technique of performing an injection in the shoulder is as follows: if the injection causes scars or hypertrophy of the subcutaneous tissue, it is recommended to refuse it. Approximately every 2 weeks, the side into which the injection is injected should be changed, for example, the right shoulder to the left.
Additional Information
The injection can be performed intramuscularly, subcutaneously or intravenously. It all depends on the type of drug administered. The correct injection technique is very important, since each procedure can be associated with various complications.
Those who wondered how to give an injection in the shoulder should keep in mind that the drug is injected into the lateral part of the deltoid muscle. However, this place is associated with a much higher risk of complications associated with damage to the vessel or nerve. Therefore, people rarely resort to such an injection. Another possible injection site is the thigh. With this option, it is important that the lower limb is firmly fixed. One hand is placed on the area of the large femur, and the second on the knee and the fingers are directed towards themselves. The injection point is half the distance between the fingers on the side of the thigh.
Additional funds
For injections, disposable gloves, cotton buds, a syringe, a needle about 70 mm long and a diameter of 0.8–0.9 mm and an antiseptic are needed. Before giving an injection in the shoulder, it is important to make sure that all objects are sterile. As a rule, two needles are required - one for the kit of the drug, and the second for the intramuscular injection.
Prick yourself
First of all, it is necessary to clean the injection site and perform an injection perpendicular to the skin surface. If a catheter is used, it should be placed so deep that the tip of the needle touches the muscle. Before making an injection in the shoulder, you must make sure that the needle does not affect the vessel, so as not to accidentally introduce the drug into it. If by chance it enters a blood vessel, and blood appears in the syringe, it is necessary to withdraw the needle, replace the needle and syringe, take a new portion of the drug. In case of correct entry, it is necessary to fix the needle with one hand and slowly administer the medicine. The needle should be removed after full administration of the drug in the same way, perpendicular to the skin. The place of entry must be covered with gauze or cotton. She should be kept in this place for a while.
By stages
So, an injection into the shoulder is performed in the following steps.
- Wash hands and the area into which the drug will be injected.
- Prepare ampoules with a drug (syringe in combination with an installed needle), remove the packaging from the plastic part; swab, alcohol.
- Take a sitting or reclining position.
- Moisten the swab with alcohol.
- Wipe the selected area of the skin with a swab of gauze moistened with alcohol.
- Wait until the disinfectant dries (a few seconds), with a steady movement, remove the cap from the needle.
- Just take with one hand the fold of the skin of the shoulder in the chosen place (index and thumb).
- While a fold of skin is held with one hand, a syringe is taken in the other.
- It is installed at a right angle (90 degrees) into the skin fold.
- With a decisive movement, the entire needle is inserted into the skin (it is very short, so there is no danger of damage to internal organs).
- Enter the entire contents of the syringe, constantly holding a fold of skin with one hand. Wait a few seconds while holding the syringe and the crease of the skin.
- Carefully remove the needle and release the fold of skin.
- Apply a swab and hold it for a while.
- Throw the syringe out by placing it in the bin with the needle down in the needle packaging.
- Correct clothes and rest for a while in a sitting position.
Notes
After it was possible to inject herself intramuscularly, it is not recommended to massage the injection site, as this will lead to bruising. After each injection, a small bruise may appear, but do not provoke its appearance once again.
The above advice is only a recommendation, and it can never replace a visit to a specialist. It is important to remember that in case of health problems you should always consult a doctor! Self-medication turns into only great harm to the human body.
Sometimes the injections themselves are painful, and this is also a normal situation. With experience, a person adapts to do them in the most optimal way, and also gets used to the unpleasant sensations that arise when injecting drugs into the shoulder.
Contraindications
Blood clotting disorders are a contraindication for intravenous injection. We are talking about some muscle diseases. Absolute contraindications are, first of all, the lack of patient consent, edema and inflammatory changes in the place of the planned injection, as well as concussion and circulatory disturbance (the exception is the adrenaline injection in case of anaphylactic shock).
Complications
If, before giving an injection in the shoulder, a person has not taken care of antiseptic measures, dangerous consequences can be expected. Failure to comply with the relevant rules threatens the occurrence of abscesses and infectious complications. Often there is pain at the injection site, it happens that after an injection in this area a small hematoma appears, nerve damage occurs, which leads to temporary reversible sensitivity disorders. A complication after incorrect entry can be avascular bone necrosis. It is extremely rare that the needle breaks during the injection. You should also remember about the complications that arise not so much because of the injection procedure itself, but because of specific adverse reactions to the drug, for example, allergic reactions to its components.