Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Dorsogluteal Intramuscular Injection Depth Needed To Reach Muscle Tissue According To Body Mass Index And Gender: A Systematic Review, Pamela Strohfus, Sara Palma, Chelsea Tindell Wallace

Nursing Faculty Publications and Presentations

Aims and objective(s)

The objective of this systematic review was to determine the needle length required to reach the dorsogluteal muscle based on body mass index and sex. Our aim was to provide evidence-based recommendations to current intramuscular injection guidelines from the result(s) of this review.

Background

Studies worldwide are documenting reduced medication effectiveness due to improperly placed dorsogluteal intramuscular injections because of incorrect needle length, wrong site selection and/or obesity. Current intramuscular injection guidelines lack specific instructions according to weight or sex. While there are similar concerns with other injectable sites, this review focuses solely on adult dorsogluteal intramuscular …

Are Im Injections Im In Obese And Overweight Females?: A Study In Injection Technique, Sara Palma, Pamela Strohfus

Nursing Faculty Publications and Presentations

If given incorrectly, intramuscular injections may result in poor absorption of drug, reduced drug effectiveness, or irritation to surrounding tissues. In this study, IM injection techniques were observed and documented for needle length, injection site, needle insertion, and stretching or bunching of the skin during injection in a population of adult females. The patients' weights and BMIs were recorded to determine the amount of subcutaneous fat at the injection site. In 22 patients of varied weights, 90% of injections were given within current Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP) guidelines in normal and underweight patients, and 17% were given within …