IM site bleeding

Yup, I have gotten alot more this year than last year. Lots of bleeding with needle withdrawal, but no blood return with aspiration.

I have had IM injections bleed before. Maybe because you are going through the muscle and you catch it just right?

Very common. It's possible to go through a vessel, so there would be no blood on aspiration, but you would see it on withdrawal.

Thank you for your responses! This is reassuring.

It happens occasionally. The bevel of the needle may have nicked a capillary or other very small vessel on the way through the tissue.

Do you guys still aspirate? I was taught not to.

Yes, my class was taught to aspirate with flu shots, and pretty much all IM injections. I was wondering as well about the flu shots, since I swear everytime I've received a flu shot, they didn't aspirate, unless they have really quick hands! Aspirating did reassure me that I didn't inject into a vein, though.

Yeah Sue, we still aspirate..probably" just because WE do!!":lol2: Do you have any evidence against??? Gratefully.............dee!

Suesquatch said:

Do you guys still aspirate? I was taught not to.

I was giving Prolixin decanoate a few weeks ago, aspirated, and lo and behold! Darned if I didn't aspirate blood!! Second time in 20 + years of giving IMs. The first time was as a student giving a pre-op Demerol IM. So, yes, I still aspirate.

Mary

I have never aspirated blood, but I always aspirate.

Sue, what was the rationale behind not aspirating? Im genuinely curious.

CyndieRN2007 said:

I have never aspirated blood, but I always aspirate.

Sue, what was the rationale behind not aspirating? Im genuinely curious.

They never really gave one, just that they didn't deem it necessary, that it was old fashioned and we didn't need to. Given that I had no experience at all I didn't think to question it.

I thought that one always had to aspirate with I'm injections. I do aspirate with them. I don't aspirate on sq injections anymore, I had worked at a ltcf and they had us aspirate on sq injections.

At one point in my life I had to have im injections twice a week and more often then not I would bleed when they withdrew the needle, the nurse didn't seem to concerned about and neither was i. I agree with the other posters comments on why it may happen.