How Do You Give Intramuscular Injections Less Painfully?
Intramuscular (IM) injections are a fairly uncomfortable invasive procedure. Care should be taken to reduce the amount of discomfort a person has to endure while receiving this type of injection. There are a number of ways to administer an IM injection less painfully and they should all be included in your technique. Prepare the injection site using an alcohol pad, but make sure you let the alcohol dry completely. This is probably the most common mistake people make that can cause unnecessary pain. It only takes an extra five seconds and is the easiest way to reduce pain during the injection. Choose the correct site for the injection. The deltoid muscle of the upper arm is the preferred IM injection site, but viscous material or volumes larger than 2.5 ml should be given in the gluteus maximus muscle in the upper, outer quadrant of the buttock. An alternate site for larger injections is the vastus lateralus muscle on the outside of the leg halfway between the knee and the hip. These tw
