Do you aspirate before giving an IM deltoid injection?

Nurses Medications

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I am hoping someone can clear up this issue for me! I am finishing up my last semester in an ADN program. Graduation is December 16th! ? In school we are taught when giving IM injections to aspirate first to check for blood return. If it is clear you give the injection. Is this true when giving an IM injection in the deltoid? I am feeling confused about this because I did a free flu vaccination clinic and the RN (who is also the school's LPN instructor) told us that when giving an injection in the deltoid there is no need to aspirate. The other day I was giving an IM injection and my preceptor told me you always aspirate with any IM injection, but she couldn't find a hospital policy on this. So which way is the correct procedure?

I appreciate any reply on this matter!

Specializes in Hospice.

I just finished reading an article on "Aspirate or Not to Aspirate". The article is written by several medical professionals that suggest that there is no evidence to suggest that is necessary for SQ or IM.

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It is not taught anymore to aspirate giving IM injections if you do them in the recommended sites due to lack of large blood vessels. That being said, if you aren't sure, it will never hurt!

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Safety avoiding chances despite how minimal the chance, IM injections require ASPIRATION prior to injection. Proper needle length is mandatory to insure injecting into the muscle.

Use a vein finder for an experiment. You can see how superficial veins can be and certainly are located within reach of an IM needle.

In my practice, TWICE I entered a vein. Had I NOT aspirated, potential fatal outcomes would have been the potential harm. An insulin administration aspiration revealed BlOOD!! Never would imagine this, The patient was not emaciated or tiny. The second was an IM injection. Both times surprised me and the medication was discarded. The IM incidentally was 75mgs of Demerol. Bothe patients could have coded had I not aspirated.

Would be lovely to be able to visualize veins with he naked eye.

Ever hear of a blind stick to start an IV? Veins are accessible relatively near the surfaces to start IV's, why would anyone believe an IM needle could not penetrate a vein? It has. Although infrequent when it does it counts.

I never take chances with any of my patients and am now bothered with procedures on the media breaching proper IM administration of COVID vaccines. Could some of the lymphadenopathy post COVID be due to subcu rather than IM administration of the COVID vaccines?

TB syringes are being used for COVID administration. SCARY.

 

 

 

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