Gluteal IM Injection

Nurses General Nursing

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I graduated from nursing school in 2015. We were not taught to use the gluteal muscle for IM injectips as it is not recommended due to sciatic nerve injury. Were any of you also told the same?

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Specializes in Public Health, TB.

I graduated from LPN school in 1984 and they were telling us that.

Mildly related, when I had my first child in 1979, they gave me IM gluteal pain shots. I had a searing pain in my left buttock that lasted for months.

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
I graduated from nursing school in 2015. We were not taught to use the gluteal muscle for IM injectips as it is not recommended due to sciatic nerve injury. Were any of you also told the same?

Given correctly a gluteal injection does not cause injury to the patient and is the one of the safest muscles for thick injections. My favorite muscle to use is Ventrogluteal muscle in the hip region. No pesky sciatic Nerves in the way and lots of big pure muscle. I am actually known for my technique. I give a lot of penicillin shots for syphilis and most of my patients tell me they hardly feel them and that's two big shots one in each side a week for three weeks.

Hppy

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

There's a huge difference between dorsogluteal and ventrogluteal. Ventrogluteal is an excellent site due to size of the muscle, and lack of any nearby nerves and major blood vessels.

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What's the best technique for correctly placing a ventrogluteal injection?

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

I landmark it with my hand, looking for the iliac spine and greater trochanter.

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Specializes in Public Health, TB.
What's the best technique for correctly placing a ventrogluteal injection?

What Klone said. Place the heel of your hand on the greater trochanter, form a V with your pointer and middle fingers touching the iliac crest. Injection site is right between the proximal interphalengeal joint.ventrogluteal injection landmarks - Google Search

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I was taught this technique but in same time I was told it is not recommended. I find it comfortable place to give injection but it depends on patient's preference. I heard about really nasty complications in children but never with adults.

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No, generally speaking we were taught specific locations to avoid sciatic nerve and I have given many injections in that site, we tend to use other gluteal muscles not gluteal maximus.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
I was taught this technique but in same time I was told it is not recommended.

Ventro? Not recommended by whom?

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I think there are people "out there" teaching others who don't know what they're talking about. I was taught to perfectly landmark the "ventrogluteal" site; I remember it like it was yesterday - - except that I found out later that it was actually the dorsogluteal. I actually think the dorsogluteal is a fine site, by the way, except that I rarely see anyone actually correctly find the upper-outer of the upper-outer, and instead appear to aim for "buttock" which of course is where we run into trouble. Also, in the DG there's the problem of not getting to muscle even with a 1.5" needle so that's another reason not to attempt it.

The ventrogluteal is a great site. Preferred, actually. Here it is:

https://image.slidesharecdn.com/medicationadministration-120306011557-phpapp02/95/medication-administration-27-728.jpg?cb=1330997083

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I meant dorsogluteal.

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