Medication Preparation and Intradermal Injection Quiz

Injection Fundamentals

• Injection is the process of putting a liquid, especially a drug, into a person's body using a needle and a syringe.
• Parenteral medication is the administration of medication by injection into body tissues.

Routes of Parenteral Medication

• There are four routes of giving medication by injection:
  • Intradermal (into the dermis layer below the epidermis of the skin)
  • Subcutaneous (into the tissue below the dermis layer of the skin)
  • Intramuscular (into the body muscle)
  • Intravenous (into a vein)

Indications for Parenteral Administration

• Injections are usually used when:
  • A rapid action is required
  • The drug cannot be absorbed by the alimentary tract
  • The patient is unable to take the medication orally
  • The drug is not available in an oral form

Syringe

• A syringe has three parts: the tip (hub), the barrel, and the plunger
• There are three main types of syringe: Hypodermic syringe, Tuberculin syringe, and Insulin syringe

Purpose of Injection

• To get rapid and systematic effect of the drug
• To provide the needed effect when the client is unconscious
• To obtain local effect (e.g., xylocaine, tuberculin test)
• To restore blood volume by replacing the fluid

Equipment for Injection

• Tray
• Syringe
• Alcohol wipe
• Needle
• Gauze
• Torniquet
• Drug (checked)
• Prescription chart
• Gloves (if necessary)

Preparing Medication from Vial

• Flip the plastic cap off
• Pull back and fill the syringe with an amount of air equal to the amount of solution you want to draw
• Flick the side of the syringe to make air bubbles rise to the top
• Push needle through the rubber seal into the vial
• Pull back slowly on the plunger to withdraw

Intradermal (ID) Injection

• Administration of drug into the dermal layer of the skin just beneath the epidermis
• Small amount of liquid is used (e.g., 0.1ml)
• Syringe is positioned at 15 angles
• Common sites: Inner lower arm, Upper chest, Back beneath the scapula
• Indications: Tuberculin injection, Allergy sensitivity tests, Local anesthesia, BCG (Bacille Calmette Guerin Vaccine) for tuberculosis
• Complications: Pain, Irritant, Swelling, Infection

Procedure for Intradermal Injection

• Gather equipment
• Wash hands
• Explain procedure to the client
• Check and prepare the medication
• Provide privacy
• Select and clean the site of injection
• Grasp syringe with dominant hand
• Inject the medication
• Remove the needle slowly

Subcutaneous (SC) Injection

• Administration of medication into the subcutaneous tissue beneath the dermis layer of skin
• Used for slow, sustained absorption of medication
• Generally, a 2ml syringe is used, and only 0.5 – 1ml of medication is usually injected at 45 angles
• Common sites: Outer aspect of the upper arm, Anterior aspect of thigh, Abdomen (2-inch area surrounding the navel), Scapular area of the upper back, Ventrogluteal area, Dorsogluteal area

Procedure for Subcutaneous Injection

• Gather equipment
• Wash hands
• Explain procedure to the client
• Check and prepare the medication
• Provide privacy
• Select and clean the site of injection
• Grasp syringe with dominant hand
• Lift up a roll of skin and inject the medication
• Remove the needle slowly

Intramuscular (IM) Injection

• Injection of medication into the body muscles
• Intramuscular injection is absorbed more quickly than subcutaneous injection due to the greater blood supply to the body muscles
• Generally, a 2-5ml syringe is needed, and the size of the syringe depends on the amount of medication
• Angle of 90 degrees should be used
• Sites for intramuscular injection: Rectus femoris, Deltoid muscle, Dorsogluteal, Ventrogluteal, Vastus lateralis