Flu shot reaction???

[NurseQT]

We are 2/3 of the way through our 3 Day flu shot clinic at the facility where I work. Today another nurse and I tackled (not literally) all the resident's.. By lunch time we had gotten almost all of the residents done plus a few employees without any problems... I had to give one of our CNAs her shot, she had pretty small arms, and she was a ball of nerves! The needles we're using are 1 inch, 25 gauge. I was afraid of hitting her bone so I didn't inject the needle all the way (over 3/4s tho), when I pulled the needle out she had a small amount of bleeding. But what shocked me was the site instantly swelled a bit (almost like a TB skin test would) and I could see it was starting to bruise! I've never had a reaction like that and I'm a lil freaked out. And I feel terrible because she had been nervous to get her shot to begin with... Does the swelling mean I didn't go in deep enough? She's very pregnant, could that have something to do with the reaction? Every other shot I gave before that one and everyone I gave after that one were done without any reaction or bleeding! But I'm still upset about that one shot!

[klone, MSN, RN]

You would never give a vaccine in the dorsogluteal; that site is associated with diminished absorption of vaccines, &, subsequently, lower antibody titers.

I wasn't referring to vaccines; I would not give one there either. I was referring to IM injections in general. You stated

Vessels aren't large enough in recommended sites for IM.

and I interpreted that as any IM injection, not just vaccines.