Safe And Effective Drug Administration

Safe and Effective Drug Administration

Intramuscular (IM) injection is the administration of medication through the muscle tissue at an angle of ninety degrees to enable quick absorption into the bloodstream. IM injections have specific areas suggested for injection and appropriate patient grouping in order to limit the risks associated with injecting and optimize the efficacy of the medication being administered. Some of the commonly used injection sites in IM include the deltoid, vastus lateralis and ventrogluteal muscles based on factors such as the patient’s age, mass and the volume of medication to be administered (Gutierrez & Munakomi, 2023). The deltoid site, two to five centimeters inferior to the acromion process, is suitable for small-volume injections, while the vastus lateralis, in the lateral part of the thigh, can be used in infants.

The ventrogluteal site is recommended as the safest and ideal site for gluteal IM injections because the area contains few large blood vessels and nerves. To identify this site, the palm is placed at the greater trochanter while the index finger is pointing towards the anterior superior iliac spine and the middle finger is spread towards the iliac crest, making a V-shaped impression; the injection is administered at the center of this v-shape with more concentration on the deeper layers of muscles in order to increase the rate of medicine absorption (Nakajima et al., 2019). Appropriate patient landmark identification reduces the likelihood of complications like nerve injury and patient safety.

Some of the key measures of infection control in medication administration include safe needle handling and scrubbing the hub before each connection. Needle safety comprises avoiding sharps where possible, practicing safety mechanisms when using sharps, and appropriate disposal of sharps. Wiping the hub of the intravenous ports and the top of the medication vial with alcohol swabs for at least ten to fifteen seconds helps reduce contamination and bloodstream infections (Hou et al., 2023). Ensuring high standards of hygiene minimizes the chances of infections and cross-infections during clinical procedures.

Careful medication review before administering the drug reduces instances of errors and improves patient outcomes. This procedure entails confirming the patient’s particulars, checking the drug name, dose, route, and time, as well as asking for clarification of any ambiguous drugs and dosing instructions from the ordering physician. Double-checking orders helps to minimize such mistakes as wrong dosage, adverse reactions, or drug interaction (Tariq et al., 2024). Nurses also should assess the patient’s medical history and status to decide on the best way to administer the medication. Thorough client examination and compliance to recommended measures prevent adverse consequences and remind the practitioners of safety steps to be taken while handling medication.

References

Gutierrez, J. J. P., & Munakomi, S. (2023, August 13). Intramuscular injection. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556121/

Hou, Y., Griffin, L. P., Ertmer, K., Bernatchez, S. F., Kärpänen, T. J., & Palka-Santini, M. (2023). Effectiveness of disinfecting caps for intravenous access points in reducing Central Line-Associated bloodstream infections, clinical utilization, and cost of care during COVID-19. ClinicoEconomics and Outcomes Research, Volume 15, 477–486. https://doi.org/10.2147/ceor.s404823

Nakajima, Y., Fujii, T., Mukai, K., Ishida, A., Kato, M., Takahashi, M., Tsuda, M., Hashiba, N., Mori, N., Yamanaka, A., Ozaki, N., & Nakatani, T. (2019). Anatomically safe sites for intramuscular injections: A cross-sectional study on young adults and cadavers with a focus on the thigh. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 16(1), 189–196. https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2019.1646576

Tariq, R. A., Vashisht, R., Sinha, A., & Scherbak, Y. (2024, February 12). Medication dispensing errors and prevention. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519065/

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