What Happens If You Give An IM Injection Subcutaneous?

Subcutaneous injections can

lead to localised cellulitis, granuloma formation and abscess

. The COVID-19 vaccine has shown to have high efficacy if given correctly intramuscularly. Subcutaneous injection can happen inadvertently (figure 1), affecting efficacy of vaccination and potentiate local adverse events.

Can intramuscular injection be given subcutaneously?

For all intramuscular injections, the needle should be long enough to reach the muscle mass and prevent vaccine from seeping into

subcutaneous

tissue, but not so long as to involve underlying nerves, blood vessels, or bone (15,19-22).

What happens if you give a subcutaneous injection wrong?

Are there any complications? The most common complication of a subcutaneous injection is

pain near the injection site for 1 to 2 days afterward

. Pain near the injection site can happen when inserting the needle at the wrong angle, or when it moves slightly during the injection.

What is the advantage of an intramuscular injection over a subcutaneous injection?

Intramuscular (IM)

As you are injecting directly into a muscle it is quite common to experience swelling and redness as well as some for of drainage and pain at the site of the injection. The advantage to SC is that

it is much easier to self-administer and requires little to no training

.

Do you pinch skin for IM injection?

Insert needle at an 45o angle to the skin.

Pinch up on SQ tissue

to prevent injecting into muscle.

Is intramuscular injection faster than subcutaneous?

Intramuscular injections

are absorbed faster than subcutaneous injections

. This is because muscle tissue has a greater blood supply than the tissue just under the skin. Muscle tissue can also hold a larger volume of medication than subcutaneous tissue.

Can we rub after subcutaneous injection?

Remove the needle from your skin and hold a gauze or cotton ball on the injection site for a few seconds.

Don’t rub the injection site

. If you see blood or clear fluid, press on the injection site with the gauze or cotton ball for 5 to 8 minutes. Don’t rub while pressing.

Should a subcutaneous injection bleed?

Use a bandage if there is bleeding but usually,

the injection site won’t bleed

. If you’ve accidentally nicked a blood vessel, a little bleeding is normal. It should stop soon. Dispose of the needle or syringe in a puncture-proof container.

Do you have to pinch skin for subcutaneous injection?

PHE (2013) recommends that subcutaneous vaccinations are given with the

needle at a 45-degree angle to the skin

and the skin should be pinched together (PHE, 2013).

What are the disadvantages of subcutaneous injection?

The slower absorption

is a common disadvantage of subcutaneous administration because there is less blood flow to quickly absorb drug; however, this may be an advantage as well, in that lower doses of drugs may last for longer periods.

What are the disadvantages of intramuscular injection?

• Expert and a trained person is required for administrating the drug by IM route.
• The absorption of the drug is determined by the bulk of the muscle and its vascularity.
• The onset and duration of the action of the drug is not adjustable.

Can you inject 2 ml in deltoid?

Generally

only limited injection volumes can

be given by intramuscular injection: 2 ml in the deltoid and thigh muscles, and up to 5 ml in the gluteus maximus. The point of injection should be as far as possible from major nerves and blood vessels to avoid neural damage and accidental intravenous administration.

Do you stretch skin for IM injection?

Hold the syringe and needle in your dominant hand and gently stretch the skin

around the injection site using the non-dominant hand. This displaces the subcutaneous tissue and aids needle entry (Dougherty and Lister, 2015).

How do you know if you give an IM injection wrong?

1. Coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
2. Chest tightness.
3. Hives.
4. Dizziness or fainting.
5. Rapid or irregular heartbeat.
6. Weak pulse.
7. Facial swelling.
8. Swollen or itchy lips or tongue.

How deep should an IM injection go?

Injection site

Give in the central and thickest portion of the deltoid muscle – above the level of the armpit and

approximately 2–3 fingerbreadths (~2′′) below the acromion process

.

Is Bleeding After im injection normal?

Light bleeding at the injection site is normal

, but a person can use a bandage if necessary.