Injections- still pull back?

PamUK · May 5, 2005

I always aspirate. Is the rationale behind the statement that it is not necessary to aspirate, because it is a rare event to hit a vein?

Aspirating is managing a risk. Potential harm by aspirating V the risk if injecting something into a blood vessel. Well, I dont know of any harm that could occur by aspirating but many of you have given superb examples of what could happen if a drug was inadvertently administered IV

I'll continue to aspirate...

kmrmom42 · May 7, 2005

I aspirate. Once I received an injection of lidocaine into a vein during a dental procedure......NOT FUN. I would never want to cause such trauma to a patient of mine.

Jumblygirl · May 7, 2005

"I've never once aspirated blood, but I still map out my landmarks on each and every patient AND I pull back every single time (except, of course, for heparin-type meds and insulin"

Hi - my v first post - I have to ask a stupid question - why don't you pull back for heparin or insulin?

ednursedee · May 7, 2005

i've been a nurse for 13 years and have aspirated blood only once. i still palpate my landmarks and aspirate.

London Turtle · May 7, 2005

I had a patient who went into insulin shock when he gave himself an injection, and the insulin went into a blood vessel

Lifeisabeach · May 7, 2005

I have yet to hear not to pull back on IM injections. I teach patients to give IM injections in my field of nursing, i have yet to get blood return but my patients will call me in a panic that they did. I am keeping with the old rules even if there is a new rule out there

Retired Nurse · May 7, 2005

I had a patient who went into insulin shock when he gave himself an injection, and the insulin went into a blood vessel

Yes, I think it is important with insulin also. Only twice did I have blood return in years------but twice was more than enough to make me a believer.

Nurse Ratched, RN · May 7, 2005

Seems like most of us would have had at least one occasion where a pt may have experienced serious harm without the aspiration rule. I suspect the recommendation comes from the notion that in comparison to the number of injections that we give, it's statistically insignificant. But we all know that one pt is not an insignificant statistic. An extra second in each injection is not too much to ask if it avoids that one horror story.

Birdie RN · May 7, 2005

I have yet to hear not to pull back on IM injections. I teach patients to give IM injections in my field of nursing, i have yet to get blood return but my patients will call me in a panic that they did. I am keeping with the old rules even if there is a new rule out there

I aspirated blood on the VERY First IM injection I ever gave! It made quite an impression on me! The medication was Haldol.I have aspirated all Im injections ever since.

mergency · May 7, 2005

I will always check for blood return. I went to the dr. for a botox test shot for a chronic low back spasm. He did the test injection with lidocaine the next thing I know my lips were getting numb and the room was going black. The last thing I remember saying was "give me Epi now !!! I woke up on the floor he had given me a direct bolus of lidocaine because he did not aspirate. I have not been back to him since. I wonder to this day if I would of made it if I had not told them to give me epi. :uhoh21:

Scary! I have always aspirated and was always told that it was not necessary but lo & behold, years later I aspirated blood twice! It only takes a couple seconds longer but I will continue to aspirate!

scooterRN52 · May 7, 2005

In a staff meeting a few weeks ago, one of the nurses said that pulling back to check for blood is no longer necessary. I cannot find any documentation to that effect. Does anyone know?

I've always pulled back to check for blood and will continue regardless of change in practice. It is common sense when you think about it, if you give an injection meant to go in the muscle, and it goes into the vein, that can be dangerous because the med is meant for muscle absorption, Iv doses and absorption of the drug are different from SQ and IM doses. I would seriously

question that nurse and challenge her on it. :angryfire

London Turtle · May 7, 2005

I've always pulled back to check for blood and will continue regardless of change in practice. It is common sense when you think about it, if you give an injection meant to go in the muscle, and it goes into the vein, that can be dangerous because the med is meant for muscle absorption, Iv doses and absorption of the drug are different from SQ and IM doses. I would seriously
question that nurse and challenge her on it. :angryfire

I always wonder if i could see the blood when I pull back on a B-12 injection since the B-12 is red, any comments or experiances with this??