Lovenox injection site

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Hello all! I did a search on this BB about Lovenox and it has been discussed that you do not expel the air bubble in the syringe, so now I'd like to know about the injection site. The drug guide states that it should be administered by deep sq injection and altered between right and left posterolateral and anterolateral abdominal wall. In nursing school I was taught to inject into the "lovehandles." Is this the proper site or not? I am asking because I have had several patients with multiple large bruises on the abdomen, near the belly button, right under or beside, or both, depending on how many injections they've had. Where do all of you inject?

Thank you~!

gator

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Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.

I learned it this way: Lovenox=love handles.

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our agency's policy is to inject into either the lovehandles (#1 choice) or abdomen... if it's the abdomen, you must make sure that you never inject within a 1½-2" radius of the belly button...

beth :p

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Specializes in Renal, Haemo and Peritoneal.

This drug is marketed in Oz as Clexane. It is a vast improvement on drugs like calcipirin. As a low molecular weight heparin it is a helluva lot safer to give this instead of regualar heparin as it is excreted quite quickly.

One thing to aware of though, is making sure that the dose coincides with the weight of the patient. I worked in a place where a rather large lady (100kg+) was ordered enoxaparin 100mg. She ended up with a big abdominal ulcer as the injection sites weren't rotated enough and the dose was too high (in fact her lean body weight would have been around 70kg). The dosing is usually worked on 10mg per kg of lean body wieght. You can't count the fat!

Hope this helps stop anything adverse.

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our agency's policy is to inject into either the lovehandles (#1 choice) or abdomen... if it's the abdomen, you must make sure that you never inject within a 1½-2" radius of the belly button...

beth :p

This is the same at the facility I currently work for.

~Christina~

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Once saw a patient admitted with a dr's order for 80mg enoxaparin IV. The scariest part is the nurse that admitted him, kardexed the order in that manner. She got really busy with a difficult patient so I said I would help her out by completing the admission paperwork and transcribing the rest of the orders. I saw that IV order and thought, well, I'm still pretty green but I'm going to ask because I have NEVER seen this before. Hospital pharmacist happened to be at the nurses' desk and nearly turned PURPLE. I quickly changed the kardex and luckily the other nurse had not given the enoxaparin yet.

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INJECTION SITE: love handles or half way between love handles and bb give a satisfactory ranges for multiple injections separations

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I was told when I first started giving it to inject it about 2 inches below the navel or to either side of that. That's where I've been giving it since. Maybe I need to look into it somemore?

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wherever you can grab a roll of fat, therefore pt. in upright position more conducive to selecting site....periumbilicus area highly vascular = 2" away

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Specializes in Acute rehab/geriatrics/cardiac rehab.

I have a question....What if the patient is very skinny and has no "love handles?" Where do you inject? I had a patient like that once......

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I have a question....What if the patient is very skinny and has no "love handles?" Where do you inject? I had a patient like that once......

You pinch up the skin & give it. Congratulations on passing!! :balloons:

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momandnurse,

that's why you sit them up so you will see somewhat of a roll....

or you can always grab some from their quads and inject there.

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