Can you administer antibiotics as an im injection

Skeletal muscles have fewer pain-sensing nerves than subcutaneous tissue, which allows for the less painful administration of irritating drugs e.

IM injections are recommended for patients unable to take oral medications and for uncooperative patients. Some examples of medications that are commonly delivered by IM injections include antibiotics, hormones, and vaccinations. As in any other route of administration, the nurse must consider if the medication is appropriate, given the patient's medical conditions, allergies, and current clinical status. In addition, specifically for IM injections, it is important to assess the patient's muscle mass to determine the appropriate needle size.

Also, if the patient has already received this injection, it is necessary to verify the injection site that was previously used and to ensure that the previous dose did not result in any adverse reactions.

The sites that are most commonly utilized for IM injections include the deltoid muscle of the shoulder; the vastus lateralis of the thigh; and the ventrogluteal, gluteus medius, or dorsogluteal muscles of the hip. It is best to avoid administering IM injections into the dorsogluteal muscle, because this location is associated with an increased risk of hitting a blood vessel, nerve, or bone.

This video will focus on the essential steps that every nurse should follow in order to correctly prepare and administer an IM injection. Similar to any other route of administration, preparing and administering IM medications requires the nurse to be knowledgeable about the patient's medical history, medication allergies, and preferences, as well as on the previous administration times, adverse effects, and purpose of the medication.

All this information can be obtained through discussion with the patient and by reviewing the Medication Administration Record MAR at the patient bedside. In the case of IM injections, you should be particularly aware of the patient's preference for an injection site and administration process i.

Select the most appropriate site for IM injection depending, upon the type of medication being delivered. Adherence to the five "rights"-right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, right time-at the three checkpoints of the safe medication administration process is imperative to prevent patient injury and harm. To learn about these five "rights" in detail, please refer to the video entitled "Safety Checks for Acquiring Medications from a Medication Dispensing Device.

Vigorous friction for at least 20 s should be applied while washing the hands with soap and warm water or while applying hand sanitizer.

Upon entering the medication preparation area this area may be in a secured room or in a secured portion of the nurses' station , complete the first safety check of the five "rights" of medication administration. IM injection preparations are commonly provided in vials or ampules for withdrawal to a syringe. Before withdrawing, it is important that a nurse calculates the volume of the medication to be administered, according to the concentration provided on the container. Remove the medication from the box and removing the vial top.

In the medication preparation area, complete the second safety check using the five "rights" of medication administration. In addition to the medication to be administered, be sure to obtain all supplies needed for injection before entering the patient's room.

Wash hands when entering the patient room and complete the third and final medication safety check, adhering to the five "rights" of medication administration. As with any medication administration, remind the patient of the medication purpose, any adverse reactions, and administration procedure.

Remove bed linens and the patient's gown or clothing to access the selected injection site. Perform injection site selection, as described in step 3, with the deltoid muscle preferred for small volumes and the ventrogluteal for large volumes in adults.

Clean gloves should be donned at this time. Make sure to assess if the patient has a latex allergy, or use non-latex gloves to avoid allergic reactions. The z-track technique for IM administration should always be used.

The z-track technique prevents medication from leaking into the subcutaneous tissue. Hold the syringe in your dominant hand, and with your non-dominant hand, remove the needle cap. As with any injection, remove the needle smoothly, along the line of insertion; engage the safety device with the thumb of the dominant hand; and immediately place the needle and syringe directly into a "sharps" container.

Finally, dispose gloves and waste into a garbage receptacle and wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 s, applying vigorous friction. As with any medication, document the medication administration date, time, and location of in the electronic MAR. These should be immediately reported to the nurse. Leave the patient room and wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 s, applying vigorous friction.

Intramuscular, or IM, injection is a safe and effective alternate route commonly used to deliver medications, which includes antibiotics, hormones, and vaccinations.

An intramuscular injection deposit medications deep into the muscle tissue. Since muscle fibers are well perfused, this route of administration provides quick uptake of the medication and allows administration of relatively large volumes.

This video will focus on the essential steps that every nurse should follow in order to correctly prepare and administer an intramuscular injection.

Before delving into the protocol, let's review the common intramuscular injection sites and considerations associated with site and needle selection. The sites that are most commonly utilized for IM injections include the shoulder's deltoid muscle; the thigh's vastus lateralis; and the hip's ventrogluteal, gluteus medius, or dorsogluteal muscles.

The deltoid site is most commonly used for immunizations. However, only up to 1 mL of any medication may be administrated in this muscle. The gluteal site is commonly used to administer antibiotics, or any medication, when the volume exceeds 2 mL but is less than 3 mL for an adult.

Infants should receive all intramuscular medications in the vastus lateralis because it is the largest muscle at that developmental age. If administering an intramuscular injection into a child under age 2, the maximum amount that should be administered is 1 mL. It is recommended to avoid administering intramuscular injections into the dorsogluteal muscle, because this location has an increased risk of hitting a blood vessel, nerve, or bone. Needle selection is dependent upon the age of the patient, administration site, volume of fluid, amount of muscle and adipose tissue, and viscosity of the solution.

Large bore needles and 20 gauge-are appropriate for thick, viscous medications, while small bore needles and 25 gauge-are appropriate for thinner medications and infants. First, review the patient's medical history. It is important to have a working knowledge of the patient's preferences, allergies, and medication administration times. It is also important to have an understanding of the medication being delivered to the patient. Medication information, like indication and adverse effects, can be obtained by referencing online databases.

Next, keeping in mind the factors discussed in the previous section, select the most appropriate site for intramuscular injection. Remember, adherence to the five "rights"-right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, right time-at three checkpoints of the safe medication administration process is imperative to prevent patient injury and harm. In order to learn about these five "rights" in detail, refer to another video in this collection.

Remember to wash or sanitize your hands before and after each patient encounter. Vigorous friction for at least 20 seconds should be applied while washing hands with soap and warm water or while applying hand sanitizer. Once the injection site is selected, obtain the patient's medication from the medication preparation area.

Recall, adherence to the five "rights" at this first safety checkpoint of acquiring medication is critical. In the preparation area, first calculate the volume of medication needed for the correct patient dose. The calculated volume must be based on the concentration of the provided medication.

For example, if the ordered dose is 2 milligrams and the vial concentration is 5 milligrams per milliliter, then the amount of volume to that you need to withdraw can be obtained by using the method of cross-multiplication, which is 0. Then, remove the medication, which is a vial or an ampule, from the box and remove the vial top.

Scrub the medication vial with an alcohol prep pad for 20 seconds, with friction and intent, while watching a wall clock or watch. Next, using aseptic technique, attach a blunt-tip needle to the syringe, remove the needle cap, and withdraw the appropriate amount of medication needed for injection.

Note the viscosity of the medication being withdrawn from the vial. Hold the needle like a dart and insert it into the muscle at a degree angle. You should insert the needle in a quick, but controlled manner. Do not push the plunger in. Check for blood. Use your dominant hand — the one that did the injection — to pull back on the plunger slightly, looking for blood in the syringe.

Withdraw the needle quickly and discard it into a puncture-resistant sharps container. A sharps container is a red container that you can purchase at any pharmacy. Use a piece of gauze to apply light pressure to the injection site. You can even massage the area to help the medicine be absorbed into the muscle. Use a bandage if necessary. But certain symptoms may be a sign of a more serious complication.

Call your doctor or healthcare provider right away if you experience:. Read through the steps several times until you feel comfortable with the procedure, and take your time. When a medication is injected directly into muscle, it is called an intramuscular injection IM. The Z-track method of IM is used to prevent tracking…. For small amounts of delicate drugs, a subcutaneous injection can be a convenient way of getting a medication into your body.

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Overview An intramuscular injection is a technique used to deliver a medication deep into the muscles. What are intramuscular injections used for? Intramuscular injection sites. Share on Pinterest.

How to administer an intramuscular injection. Tips for an easier injection. Comparisons are made using intravenous and intramuscular administrations of cefazolin, gentamicin, penicillin and imipenem. Using a 'best case' scenario, the intramuscular route was found to be up to one tenth the expense of the intravenous route in certain instances.

Also, the intramuscular route may facilitate early discharge and self-administration in the home.