re: Hitting artery during intramuscular injection

quote:

---

Now I've shot myself off and on for years

---

Why?

What kind of medication are you injecting? Why do you think it is ok to use 1.5" needles instead of 1" needles? I doubt you hit an artery, unless you are skin and bones, but you may have hit a vein. Before you inject the medication, do you pull back on the plunger to make sure you are not in a vessel? I still can't get over the 1.5" needle. What gauge is it?

When you insert a needle into tissue, if you think you hit a vessel, you DO NOT push through to the other side because you have no way of knowing if you are out of the vessel, plus you've punctured both sides of the vessel. A good way to get a massive hematoma (collection of blood under the tissue).

I don't know what Doctor is prescribing injections for you, but their staff needs to do more education.

quote:

---

Why do you think it is ok to use 1.5" needles instead of 1" needles?

---

I'm not going to all the way to the hub. Keeping a good 0.5" exposed but it can be difficult to eyeball.

quote:

---

Before you inject the medication, do you pull back on the plunger to make sure you are not in a vessel? I

---

I always aspirate. You can tell when you are in a vessel, so I just push through it to the other side then aspirate. The question is not accidentally injecting into one but the amount of blood following the needle out was much more than normal when going through a vessel.

quote:

---

I still can't get over the 1.5" needle. What gauge is it?

---

Again, it is all they have and not using the whole needle. Gauge is 18 or 22, depending on the injection site.

quote:

---

you DO NOT push through to the other side because you have no way of knowing if you are out of the vessel, plus you've punctured both sides of the vessel

---

I just push through them but i'll start pulling out and re sticking. Everyone in the field says they do not even teach them to aspirate anymore and pushing through vessels can be okay. But I do aspirate just because it gives me a sense of comfort.

quote:

---

Yes, upper 1/4 of the lateral thigh. Definitely NOT a hand above the knee.

---

Fingers extended, maybe 1.25 hands above knee. Just was saying its diffidently not just mid thigh.

Is good aesthetics worth the pain of an IM injection? I had an antibiotic shot in the glutes as a teenager. Sore as shite for a week. I couldn't imagine squatting after a glute injection, much less a vastus lateralis injection.

So glad my injections are into fatty tissue.

Got a tetanus shOT in the arm once where they hit a vein or artery. Shot blood everywhere and I had a bruise for a week

No need to aspirate anymore, that's old school.

I've been a nurse for 30 years. I've never heard it not aspirating, and have never heard of pushing through if you thought you hit a vessel. Not sure who your educator is.