IM Injection Question

[ese1212]

ive been thinking about this question and still unsure of the right approach to take.

a nurse prepares an IM injection for a patient and wasn't aware of the patients size. she used a 1 1/2 inch needle for a cachectic patient. once she realizes her mistake, what is the right course of action?

should she discard and prepare another medication using a 1 inch needle or should she just change the needle size without discarding the med?

thanks guys

[SCSUStudent]

I think she would have to prepare the medication again with the correct size needle

[Mike R, ADN, BSN, RN]

What's wrong with taking off the 1 1/2" and installing a different one? You do it all the time with ampules (filter needles etc.). I wouldn't discard the med as it's not contaminated. Waste not.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

just change the needle or if you are really good at giving injections just inject to the length you need. I used to do this all the time b/c one size does not always fit all.

[nursel56]

Change needles. No need to waste med.

[Kiringat]

You don't have to jab the entire length of a needle into somebody...

[lvnlrn]

When I was in school we were taught to draw up the med with one needle, then change to a fresh needle to "be nicer to the patient".

When I worked as an IV tech in my hospital's pharmacy, there wasn't anything wrong with switching out the needles (esp. when drawing up with filter needles), as long as you weren't altering the dose of the drug in the syringe.