Aspirate Always?

[Emma123]

I've read a couple of different opinions on aspirating when giving IM injections. In school we were not taught to aspirate. (The only time we were taught to aspirate was when checking placement/contents of g tube.) Now I work in an office and yesterday an MA was with me when I administered a flu shot and freaked because I didn't aspirate. The MA's I work with say that's completely wrong...you always aspirate.

Is this something new (NOT aspirating?)

Here's a link from immunize.org stating that it isn't necessary.

Your thoughts?

thanks!!!

Emma

http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2020.pdf

[TazziRN, RN]

It's fairly new. I freaked a couple of years ago when an MA injected my youngest and didn't aspirate, but I came here and found out it is the norm now. Nothing wrong with aspirating, but I guess it's a step that has been determined to be unnecessary. I would go back to the MAs and tell them that aspiration is no longer recommended as necessary and that this is what students are being taught now.

[anonymurse]

CDC says no evidence aspiration is necessary (also never do IM in buttocks):

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/ed/encntrs02/downloads/enc02_admin.pdf

[mickjordmoll]

I am not sure what is the 'norm', but we were taught the following on aspiration :

IM - I must

ID - I Don't

SC - Some Could

[morte, LPN, LVN]

i wonder if what your injecting and the volume, make any difference?

[vashtee, RN]

Maybe this is only for vaccines?

I was taught to aspirate.

[Reno1978, BSN, RN]

Fresh out of nursing school and we were taught not to aspirate for IM injections.

[anonymurse]

Fresh out of nursing school and we were taught not to aspirate for IM injections.

Do you have a text ref for us? Hoping your books are still handy. Info is hard to chase down.

[GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN]

We were always taught to aspirate IM inj's , what can I say, that was a long time ago....and pre-PCA era when we were giving narcotics IM pretty exclusively in postops, I have hit a blood vessel twice, I will continue to aspirate IM's, It doesn't prolong the pain, if you give a good shot, the pt doesn't feel the needle per say, just the irritant of whatever you're injecting into the muscle, and that is what it is,... aspirating will have no affect on that. I rather take the proper precautions.

[Faeriewand, ASN, RN]

graduating in january and we were taught to aspirate for im's. we did a peds rotation in a clinic however and the nurses and ma's there said in rl they do not aspirate-takes too much time.

here is something from the article that i didn't know:

it's not

necessary to change the needle between reconstitution or drawing

the vaccine and administering it unless the needle is

contaminated or bent. modern steel needles are not dulled by

entry into a vaccine vial.

thanks for the link anonymurse :)

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I was taught to aspirate, but to be honest, most of the time, I don't...because I forget. I make sure that I have the correct site, but, otherwise, I have to say that I am guilty of not doing it. It is great to know that it is now documented that this is not necessary. I always thought that it was a silly thing, especially in the deltoid.

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

We were taught to aspirate.