Prick or injection: what types are there and can you do it yourself?

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An injection, or more correctly, an injection, is a method of introducing medications into the human body. Injections are carried out using a syringe and a hollow needle or using a needleless injector by injecting a solution under high pressure.

Types of injections

In medicine, there are several types of injections. Their classification is based on which part of the body the solution is injected into. There are very specific forms of injections, for example, parabulbar (in the area under the eyeball). But below we will talk about the most commonly used varieties.

Intravenous

With intravenous injections, the medication is injected directly into the blood vessel. The most important thing here is compliance with sanitary rules. In theory, any human vein can be used for this type of injection. But more often such injections are given in the veins of the cubital fossa, hand, forearm or lower extremities.

The main thing is that it is well contoured and with sufficient width of the walls. It is better to entrust an intravenous injection to a professional, since there are many nuances in the injection technique, and incorrect execution of the manipulation is fraught with serious complications.

Intramuscular

This type of injection is the most common. A kind of transport depot for the medicine is created inside the muscle, from where the medicine gradually spreads throughout the body, being absorbed into the blood. This helps maintain a stable concentration of the drug for several hours and thereby ensure a long-lasting therapeutic effect.

Large muscles where there are no closely located large vessels are suitable for intramuscular injections. Typically the gluteal, deltoid, or anterior thigh muscles are used for this purpose.

Subcutaneous

This type of injection is also called parental, which literally translates as “bypassing the intestines.” This is an alternative to taking the medication orally by swallowing. The drug is quickly absorbed from the subcutaneous tissue without harming the tissues or changing the osmotic tension of the blood.

A subcutaneous injection is used when there is a need for a quick-acting drug (for example, insulin for diabetes), when the patient is unconscious and cannot swallow a tablet, as well as when there are other obstacles to swallowing - obstruction of the esophagus or stomach, severe vomiting, etc.

For such an injection, it should be easily captured in the fold and not threaten the safety of blood vessels and nerve trunks. A subcutaneous injection is placed in the shoulder, but it can be the area above the shoulder blade, the lower part of the armpit, etc.

Intradermal

With an intradermal injection, a thin needle is inserted at an acute angle under the stratum corneum of the skin to a shallow depth. If the insertion is done correctly, when you press the syringe, a light spherical tubercle up to 4 mm in diameter is formed under the skin.

This type of injection is also called intracutaneous. It is used for local anesthesia, determining the presence of a specific immune response of the body (for example, the Mantoux tuberculin test, allergen tests), testing antitoxic immunity (for example, the Schick reaction to diphtheria) and some other medical procedures. The most common site for such an injection is the outer surface of the shoulder or the front surface of the forearm.

Intraosseous

The intraosseous space is an integral part of the vascular system. The same drugs can be administered intraosseously (intrasternally) as intravenously, and the rate of therapeutic effect is the same.

This injection method was first studied back in the 19th century, was widely used during the Second World War, and since the 80s. last century is included in the recommendations for pediatric resuscitation. But the method began to be truly widely used only at the beginning of the 21st century. with the invention of a special gun apparatus for intraosseous infusion. The fact is that it is not always possible for a doctor to administer medicine intravenously (for example, with extensive burns, in small children, if the patient is in a state of shock or clinical death). Therefore, the intraosseous type of injection is often indispensable when resuscitating a patient.

Intrasternally, the drug is usually injected into the tibia, humerus, or radius. Of course, such manipulation is carried out only by a professional, since if performed incorrectly, it can lead to bone penetration, fracture, cartilage damage and other complications.

Intra-arterial

As the name suggests, this type of injection involves injecting medication directly into an artery, usually the radial or tibial artery. An intra-arterial injection is needed if the medicine quickly breaks down in the body or you need to create a high concentration of the medicine in a specific organ.

This type of injection is also used to administer X-ray preparations for a more accurate study of pathologies (tumors, blood clots, aneurysms, etc.).

Additional Information

The injection can be performed intramuscularly, subcutaneously or intravenously. It all depends on the type of drug administered. The correct injection technique is very important, since each procedure can be associated with various complications.

Those who are wondering how to give an injection in the shoulder should keep in mind that the drug is injected into the lateral part of the deltoid muscle. However, this location is associated with a much higher risk of complications associated with vessel or nerve damage. Therefore, people rarely resort to such injections. Another possible injection site is the thigh. With this option, it is important that the lower limb is firmly secured. Place one hand on the area of the large femur, and the other on the knee and point the fingers towards you. The injection point is half the distance between the fingers on the lateral thigh.

What types of injections can you do yourself?

Often patients do not want to go to the hospital or go to a medical facility for procedures because of the need to give injections a couple of times a day. Or, at an appointment with a pediatrician, a mother may wonder whether she can give injections to her child herself, so as not to bring him to the hospital every time. The ability to administer an injection is a useful skill in emergency situations when it is not possible to quickly transport the patient to the hospital. In this case, you can ask one of your family members to give an injection, or in very desperate situations, you can inject yourself.

It is clear that not all types of injections can be done independently. Intraosseous and intraarterial infusions are absolutely excluded without the participation of a doctor. Intradermal injections have a rather specific range of applications.

The following types of injections are allowed without the participation of a health care professional:

intramuscular;
subcutaneous;
intravenous.

There are a number of general rules before carrying out an independent procedure - clean hands, work surface, preparing everything necessary in advance. It is very unpleasant when you have already opened the package with a syringe and suddenly realized that there is no file for opening ampoules or cotton balls.

The parts of the body where you can give an intramuscular injection were described above, but the easiest way is in the gluteal muscle. Before the injection, you need to slightly knead and stretch it, wipe with alcohol. The needle should not be inserted completely with a sharp movement at an angle closer to 90 degrees, and the syringe plunger should be lowered as slowly as possible.

The correct injection is placed subcutaneously smoothly, at an angle of 45 degrees. It is done in the fat layer. For injection, you need to disinfect the soft tissue and compress it into a kind of fold. It must be remembered that a subcutaneous injection in the abdomen cannot be given near the navel.

Before an intravenous injection, it is necessary to wrap the tourniquet 5-10 cm above the injection site and ask the patient to clench and unclench his fist several times. After 30-60 seconds, the outline of the vein should be clearly palpable. If this does not happen, you can apply a warm cloth to your hand.

Before the procedure, it is better to give the patient a drink of fluids (if dehydrated, the veins are very difficult to palpate). If the vein is clearly visible and palpable, you need to wipe the injection site with alcohol, insert the needle at an angle of 45 degrees towards the bloodstream and slowly press the syringe plunger. After administering the drug, you should remove the tourniquet. If the vein is hard to see, it is better to refuse to carry out the procedure yourself and turn to a professional, especially since many institutions now offer this service, and it is very easy to find out how much an intravenous injection costs at home (in addition, our team offers on-site services).

Notes

After you have managed to give yourself an intramuscular injection, it is not recommended to massage the injection site, as this will lead to bruising. After each injection, a small bruise may appear, but you should not provoke its appearance again.

The advice above is only a recommendation and can never replace a visit to a specialist. It is important to remember that in case of health problems, you should definitely consult a doctor! Self-medication only results in great harm to the human body.

Sometimes the injections themselves are painful, and this is also a normal situation. With experience, a person adapts to doing them in the most optimal way, and also gets used to the unpleasant sensations that arise when drugs are injected into the shoulder.

Possible complications during the procedure

Before you decide to inject yourself, it is worth assessing the risks.

With intramuscular and subcutaneous injection, the needle can enter the vessel, which leads to its blockage - embolism. If the injection is given by a non-professional, a couple of days after the injection, infiltrates appear - painful lumps that arise due to non-compliance with sanitary rules or repeated administration of the drug in the same place. A more serious consequence is an abscess, which requires surgical intervention and serious treatment with antibiotics.

Intravenous injections at home with improper technique are fraught with vascular injury. A hematoma quickly appears at the injection site; the drug partially penetrates the skin, causing tissue burns. If a vein puncture occurs at the site of a blood clot, it may break off. With this type of injection, infection is especially dangerous if the rules of asepsis are not observed. It may be better to find out how much an intravenous injection costs with a specialist visiting, weigh the risks and make a decision.

A common complication with all types of injections is allergic reactions to the drug, which can be quite severe, including anaphylactic shock.

Contraindications

Conditions associated with blood clotting disorders are a contraindication for intravenous injections. We are talking about some muscle diseases. Absolute contraindications are, first of all, lack of patient consent, swelling and inflammatory changes at the site of the planned injection, as well as concussion and circulatory disorders (the exception is the administration of adrenaline in case of anaphylactic shock).

How to avoid negative consequences or precautions

Of course, with any invasive procedures it is very important to follow the rules of hygiene and asepsis:

It is necessary to wash your hands thoroughly, it is better to wear gloves.
Select a work surface where you will open the ampoule or syringe. Place cotton swabs and alcohol there, which should be treated with an antiseptic. It is best to use a specially designated tray under the work surface.
During procedures, only disposable instruments should be used. If you accidentally touch the needle before an injection, you should replace it.
Do not forget to treat the ampoule with the drug with a disinfectant before opening it.

Before taking the medicine, you need to shake the ampoule and carefully ensure that air does not get into the syringe. You can practice drawing liquid into it in advance and removing excess air. Everything necessary for the procedure must be prepared in advance.

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It is better not to inject several days in a row in the same place. It is highly not recommended to inject into areas with compactions, swollen or damaged tissue.

During the procedure, your hand must be steady, so if you are worried or afraid of doing something wrong, you may want to consult a specialist. The price of an intravenous injection is not very high, and the consequences of a mistake can be very unpleasant.

By stages

So, an injection into the shoulder is performed in the following steps.

Wash your hands and the area where the drug will be administered.
Prepare ampoules with the drug (a syringe in combination with an installed needle), remove the packaging from the plastic part; tampon, alcohol.
Take a sitting or reclining position.
Moisten the swab with alcohol.
Wipe the selected area of skin with a gauze swab moistened with alcohol.
Wait until the disinfectant dries (a few seconds), then remove the cap from the needle with a confident movement.
Simply grab the fold of shoulder skin in the selected location with one hand (index finger and thumb).
While the fold of skin is held with one hand, the syringe is taken in the other.
It is installed at a right angle (90 degrees) into the skin fold.
With a decisive movement, the entire needle is inserted into the skin (it is very short, so there is no danger of damaging the internal organs).
Inject the entire contents of the syringe, constantly holding the fold of skin with one hand. Wait a few seconds, holding the syringe and the skin fold.
Carefully remove the needle and release the skin fold.
Apply a tampon and hold it for a while.
Throw away the syringe by placing it in the trash, needle side down, in the needle packaging.
Adjust your clothes and rest for a while in a sitting position.