Supplies needed to administer an Intramuscular Injection

  • Two sterile alcohol wipes
  • The vile containing the medication
  • The correct size syringe & needle (this information should have been provided by your medical professional)

Drawing the medication from the vial

A vial is a small bottle containing the medication with either a plastic or metal top covering a rubber stopper.  The vial may hold enough medication for one or more doses.  If the vial will be used for more than one dose, notate the date first opened.

If the medication is already in liquid form and does not need to be reconstituted, you will be drawing directly from the vial into the syringe and then injecting directly into the injection site using the same needle.  Please note there are some exceptions to this where you are drawing the medication with one needle and using a different needle to administer the injection.  Please consult your healthcare professional to see if this applies to you.

Five Simple Steps

  1. Confirm the amount of medication to be administered per the prescription label
  2. Remove the protective cap from the needle
  3. Swipe the rubber stopper on the vial with one of the sterile alcohol wipes
  4. You will need to add air to the vile in the same amount of the medication that you will be administering.  So, if the dose is 1cc, you will need to push 1cc of air into the vial before drawing out the medication.  This creates the appropriate pressure inside the vial.
    1. Pull the plunger back to the amount you need
    2. Insert the needle into the vial and push down on the plunger
  5. Once the air has been pushed into the vial, turn it upside down making sure the needle tip is in the medication.  The medication will come back into the barrel and stop at the correct dosage. 

Locating the appropriate injection site
The following are appropriate places to give an intramuscular injection:

  • The deltoid muscle of the arm
  • The vastus lateralius (quadriceps or thigh) muscle of the leg
  • The ventrogluteal and dorsogluteal muscles of the buttocks

It is important to track the locations of each injection being mindful to use a different site each time to prevent scars and skin changes.  Keeping a log of the date, time, & site of injection helps prevent over-use of a particular location.  Injection sites should be at least one inch apart.

Injecting medication into the muscular tissue:

Intramuscular shots are given at a 90 degree angle.  Before injecting be sure to wipe the injection site with the second sterile alcohol wipe.  Spread the skin taut (except when injecting into the thigh, which requires lifting the muscle) and inject the needle.  Pull back the plunger very slightly.  If blood appears, remove needle, dispose properly and prepare a new injection.  If no blood is present, inject medication slowly. 

http://www.bd.com/hypodermic/pdf/Intramuscular_Injection_Guidelines.pdf