intramuscular injection

Introduction

Injection of a medication directly into a muscle

Contraindications

• thrombocytopenia
• coagulopathy

Procedure

• hypodermic needle 1-1.5 inch
• gluteal muscles: inject into the upper, outer quadrant of the buttocks to avoid the sciatic nerve
• vaccines preferentially administered into deltoid muscle
  • alternative site: anterolateral thigh (quadriceps)

Complications

• infection
• fibrosis (frequent injections)
• hematoma

More general terms

• injection

More specific terms

• intramuscular antibiotic injection
• intramuscular autologous bone marrow cell therapy