It happens that it is necessary to give an injection, but the doctor is not around. And you have to turn to relatives and those who are nearby. There are craftsmen who can inject themselves, but this is not a very good idea, if only because it is inconvenient. It is better to give instructions to a person who is ready to help with the procedure.

Step 1. Prepare everything you need

Soap... Not necessarily antibacterial.

Towel. It should be clean, or better disposable.

Plate... All the tools will need to be folded onto it. At home, it is difficult to disinfect the surface of the table, for example, so you need to work from a plate. It must be washed with soap and wiped with an antiseptic - an alcohol napkin or cotton wool with alcohol or chlorhexidine.

Gloves... Gloves are often neglected at home, but in vain. Since there is no question of sterility here, gloves are needed especially strongly to protect both the patient and the person giving the injection from the transmission of infections.

Syringes. The volume of the syringe must correspond to the volume of the medication. If the medicine needs to be diluted, then keep in mind that it is better to take a larger syringe.

Needles. They will be needed if the medicine needs to be diluted. For example, if a dry drug is sold in an ampoule with a rubber cap, then it is diluted as follows:

1. The solvent is drawn into the syringe.
2. A rubber cover is pierced with a needle, the solvent is released into an ampoule.
3. Shake the ampoule without removing the needle to dissolve the medicine.
4. Draw the solution back into the syringe.

After that, the needle must be changed, because the one that has already pierced the rubber cover is not suitable for the injection: it is not sharp enough.

Antiseptic or alcohol wipes... You need 70% alcohol, an antiseptic based on it or chlorhexidine. For home, disposable alcohol wipes, which are sold in any pharmacy, are best.

Garbage place... You will have to put the waste material somewhere: packaging, lids, napkins. It is better to immediately throw them into a separate box, basket, or wherever it is convenient for you, so that all of this does not end up on the plate with clean instruments.

Step 2. Learn to wash your hands

You will have to wash your hands three times: before collecting the instruments, before the injection and after the procedure. If it seems like a lot, it seems to you.

Lifehacker wrote about how to properly wash your hands. This one has all the basic movements, but add a couple more to them: soap each finger separately on both hands and wrist.

Step 3. Prepare the site

Choose a convenient place where you can place the plate of tools and easily reach it. Another must-have is good lighting.

It doesn't matter how the person who is being injected is positioned. He can stand or lie down, whichever is more comfortable for him. But the injector should also be comfortable so that the hands do not shake and do not have to pull the needle during the injection. So choose a position that works for everyone.

If you are afraid to inject in the wrong place, draw a hefty cross right on the buttock before the procedure.

First draw a vertical line in the middle of the buttocks, then a horizontal one. The upper outer corner is where you can prick. If it's still scary, draw a circle in this corner. For artistic painting, at least an old lipstick or cosmetic pencil is suitable, just make sure that particles of these products do not get into the injection site.

While the patient lies and is afraid, we begin the procedure.

Step 4. Do everything in order

1. Wash your hands and plate.
2. Treat your hands and plate with an antiseptic. Throw away the cotton wool or napkin immediately after processing.
3. Open five alcohol wipes or make an equal number of cotton balls with an antiseptic. Place them on a plate.
4. Take out the medicine ampoule and syringe, but do not open them yet.
5. Wash your hands.
6. Put on gloves and treat them with an antiseptic.
7. Take an ampoule of medicine, treat it with an antiseptic and open it. Place the ampoule on a plate.
8. Open the syringe package.
9. Open the needle and draw the medicine into the syringe.
10. Turn the syringe with the needle up and release the air.
11. Treat the patient's buttock with an alcohol or antiseptic napkin. First, a large area. Then take another napkin and wipe the place where you will inject. Movement for processing - from the center to the periphery or from bottom to top, in one direction.
12. Take the syringe the way you like it. The needle should be perpendicular to the skin. Insert the needle in one motion. It is not necessary to drive it all the way in order not to break it: 0.5–1 cm should remain outside.
13. Inject medicine. Take your time, make sure that the syringe and needle do not wobble or twitch. You can hold the syringe with one hand and push the plunger with the other.
14. Take the last alcohol wipe or cotton swab, place it near the injection site and pull out the needle in one motion to quickly apply pressure to the wound.
15. Don't rub anything with a napkin, just press and hold.
16. Throw away used tools.
17. Wash your hands.

If the injection is painful, give the medicine slowly. It seems that the faster, the sooner the person will suffer, but in fact, slow introduction is more comfortable. Average speed - 1 ml in 10 seconds.

Do not be afraid to once again treat the ampoule, hands or skin with an antiseptic. It’s better to overwork than underwork.

If you need to change needles after a set of medication, do not remove the cap from the new one until you have placed it on the syringe. Otherwise, you can inject yourself. For the same reason, never try to cover the needle with the cap once you have removed it.

If you do not know how hard to inject the needle, practice at least chicken fillet. Just to understand that it’s not scary.

When it is impossible to give an injection without specialists

1. If the drug was not prescribed by a doctor. In general, self-medication is not necessary, and even more so injecting, even if you want to "beat vitamins" for some reason. The drug, its dosage, how to dilute it - this is all set by the doctor, and only he.
2. If the patient has never taken this drug before. Many medicines have side effects and can cause unwanted reactions. Medicines that are administered with the help of injections enter the bloodstream faster, therefore, reactions to them appear quickly and strongly. Therefore, it is better to give the first injection in a medical institution and not rush to run away from there, but wait 5-10 minutes for everything to be in order. If something goes wrong, the clinic will help you, but you may not be able to cope at home.
3. When there is an opportunity to use the services of doctors, but do not want to. Intramuscular injection is short-lived and inexpensive, and home activities can end up, so you won't be able to save either money or time.
4. When the person who needs the shot has HIV, hepatitis, or other blood borne infections, or if it is not known whether the person has these infections (no valid certificate). In this case, it is better to entrust the matter to specialists in order to eliminate the risk of infection: doctors and experience more, and then they dispose of the tools as expected.
5. If you are very scared and your hands are shaking so that you do not get into the patient.

Learning to do it yourself

Intramuscular injection is the most common and simplest way of introducing drugs into the body. Such injections are recommended to be given to the largest muscles in places remote from the main blood vessels and nerves.

It is in the gluteal muscles that a person has the most powerful layer of muscle tissue, which has few nerve endings.

Typically, 3 or 5 cc syringes are used to inject into the buttock. After the injection, a depot is formed inside the muscle tissue, from which the drug, thanks to the branched vascular system, enters the bloodstream and is carried throughout the body.

Preparing for injection

A prerequisite for the introduction of drugs into the muscle is the observance of basic hygiene. Before the injection, you should wash your hands thoroughly... It is necessary to prepare a preparation, a sterile syringe, a blade that opens ampoules, cotton wool, alcohol wipes or vodka. To make the injection less painful, it is recommended to use a long, thin needle.

Injection

If you are injecting another person, it is best to have them lie down. In this position, it is easier to achieve complete muscle relaxation. When injecting yourself, it is also advisable to take a horizontal position, although, with sufficient skill, you can give yourself an injection while standing.

The needle is inserted strictly in the extreme upper quarter of the gluteus muscle... In this case, you will be completely safe from getting into a nerve or blood vessel.

Follow these simple steps

1. Remove the syringe from the package and put the needle on it;
2. Examine the ampoules: check the name and concentration of the drug;
3. Wipe the ampoule with the drug with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol;
4. Open the ampoule with a special blade;
5. Draw the required amount of the drug into the syringe without touching the walls of the ampoule with the needle;
6. Wipe the area of ​​the buttocks designated for administration of the drug with an alcohol napkin;
7. Raise the syringe with the needle up and release a small stream so that there is no air in the syringe;
8. With a gentle forceful motion, insert the needle into the muscle at a right angle;
9. Slowly push the syringe and inject the drug;
10. Take out the syringe and wipe the injection site with a cotton swab, lightly massaging it.

Injections, as a rule, are not administered once, but are designed for a specific course. Some of the drugs, such as B vitamins, are quite painful.

With a long course, you should alternate buttocks and make injections at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other. In the area of ​​the injection, an iodine grid can be made, which accelerates the absorption of the drug and reduces the sensation of pain and discomfort.

After watching the video below, you can consolidate the knowledge gained. Just be extremely careful and do not miss a single detail.

Intramuscular injections are a fairly commonly prescribed method of administering drugs. After the injection, a depot of the injected solution is created in the muscles, which helps to maintain the same concentration of the active substance for the required time, and a well-developed circulatory system in the muscle fibers allows the drug to be quickly and completely absorbed.

The gluteal muscles are thick enough to give an injection without fear of damaging the periosteum. In addition, the main large neurovascular bundles in the buttock area go deep, and the chances of damaging them are much less than when the drug is injected into other muscles.

What syringe and needle should I use for the injection?

To inject the drug into the gluteus muscle, use a syringe equal in volume to the injected solution. Children are usually injected with 1 or 2 ml drugs, for adults it is most often 5 ml, less often 10 ml. It is not recommended to inject more than 10 ml into the muscle, since this will complicate the absorption of the drug and may lead to suppuration of the injection site. It is preferable to choose a needle for intramuscular injection with a length of 4-6 cm in order to exclude too deep injection of the drug and not injure deeply located large vessels and nerves.

In which part of the buttocks to prick?

For the injection, select the outer part of the buttock in the upper part of it. In order not to be mistaken, you need to mentally divide the buttock into 4 identical quadrants (as doctors call square areas). The middle of the upper outer quadrant is suitable for injection.

The area of ​​injection can also be determined in this way: if you step back 5-8 cm from the most protruding level of the pelvic bones (iliac crest), this will be a safe area for an injection.

What medications can be injected into the buttock?

An injection into the buttock can be done with both water and oil solutions intended for intramuscular administration (this must be indicated in the annotation to the drug).

Before drawing the medicine into a syringe, it is recommended to hold the ampoule a little in your hand to warm it up to body temperature, since a warm solution is easier to inject and dissolves faster.

When injecting an oil-based medicine, it is important to make sure that the needle does not enter the vessel. To do this, you need to pull the plunger towards you and see if blood is flowing into the syringe. If there is no blood, you can safely introduce the solution gradually. However, if blood appears in the syringe, you need to choose another site for the injection (it is possible in the same buttock, retreating 1-2 cm from the first puncture).

How to inject correctly?

1. Lay the patient's stomach, free the buttocks from clothes. If a person makes an injection to himself, then it is allowed to do it while standing, taking into account that the leg on the side of the injection should be relaxed. To do this, you need to bend it at the knee and transfer your body weight to the other leg.
2. Wash your hands with antibacterial soap or disinfect your skin with an antiseptic to prevent infection at the injection site.
3. The person who will give the injection must wear disposable medical gloves to protect themselves from possible blood from the wound on the skin.
4. Wipe the site of the intended injection (a few centimeters in diameter) with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.
5. The syringe is held with one hand (for right-handed people, this is the right hand) so that the thumb and forefinger hold the plunger, and the rest of the fingers hold the syringe barrel.
6. With the other hand, pull the skin near the puncture site. If the injection is given to a child or a thin adult with poorly developed gluteal muscles, use your fingers to gather the skin and muscle into a large fold.
7. The needle of the syringe is inserted with a quick movement into the desired area to a depth of up to ¾ of its length, strictly perpendicular to the skin.
8. By gradually pressing the plunger of the syringe, the medicine is released. Moreover, the slower the solution is injected, the more painless the injection will feel.
9. With a sharp movement (in the direction opposite to the injection of the syringe), the needle is removed from the muscle, and cotton wool with alcohol is applied to the injection site.

What complications can there be?

After an injection (especially after the introduction of antibiotics and some vitamins), a difficult-to-absorb infiltrate may form (people say "a bump"). To avoid this, it is necessary to inject the drug into the muscle as slowly as possible, and also avoid constant injections into only one buttock.

To improve the absorption of the drug, it is recommended to draw an iodine grid on the formed "bumps" or apply a fresh cabbage leaf. If the injection site becomes very red and sore, and the body temperature rises, then it is necessary to see a surgeon in order to exclude a post-injection abscess.

The most formidable complication from improper administration of the drug into the buttock is sciatic nerve paralysis. When a sharp pain appears in the first seconds of the injection along the back of the thigh, it is necessary to urgently stop the administration of the medicine and pull out the needle.

If you follow all the listed rules of asepsis and the technique of intramuscular injections, then making an injection into the buttock will be a fairly simple and easily achievable task even at home.

The simplest method for subcutaneous administration of drugs is intramuscular injection into the upper part of the buttock. Usually the injection is given by a nurse or doctor, but you can do it yourself. We will figure out how to give an injection in the buttock to a child, an adult and oneself - all the features of introducing the procedure without harm to health.

You can also get an injection in the buttock at home.

How to choose a syringe and needle for an injection in the buttock

The main thing you need to know when choosing a syringe for injection is that the volume of the instrument should not exceed the amount of the injected drug:

• for children - 2 ml;
• for adults - 5 ml (very rarely 10 ml).

The volume of a syringe for an injection for a child should be no more than 2 ml.

Injections with a volume of more than 10 ml are not put into the muscle tissue. A large amount of medicine is not able to quickly dissolve and spread throughout the body. This condition can lead to purulent abscesses.

So that the injection of the drug is not too deep, the most appropriate length of the needle is considered to be 4–6 cm. This will also help not to snag the walls of the capillaries and nerve endings,

What part of the buttocks to do injections

The top (outer) part of the buttocks is considered a suitable area. In order not to be mistaken, the muscle must be visually divided into 4 identical parts. The upper square, namely its middle, will be the area where you need to put the injection.

Most suitable site for injection in the buttock

The photo clearly shows the area that is best suited for the administration of drugs. The site is far from the sciatic nerve, the medial bone and the spinal column, which allows for safe manipulation.

Preparing for intramuscular injection

The results of the procedure depend on a number of simple manipulations:

1. Inspect the ampoule with the medicine for its integrity, and also check the expiration date of the medicine.
2. Collect all the medicine at the bottom of the ampoule. To do this, you need to lightly shake off the ampoule 1-2 times.
3. File the upper part of the glass flask with a special nail file (attached to the preparation). Usually the incision is marked with a colored border.
4. Break off the filed end of the ampoule. For safety, it is better to place the cone in a napkin so as not to get hurt when opening the glass vial.
5. Release the syringe needle from the protective cap and immerse it in the medication liquid. Pulling the handle of the instrument towards you, draw up the medicine.

Break the tip of the ampoule and fill the syringe with the medicine

When the syringe is filled with liquid, you need to tap it with your finger a little. This will help to collect any air bubbles and by gently pressing the piston outward. After that, you can give an injection.

If the main drug substance is in powder form, it is diluted in a special solution (indicated in the instructions).

This is done as follows:

• remove the protective metal cap from the bottle;
• using a needle and a syringe, introduce the required amount of solution into a vial of powder;
• shake thoroughly;
• turn the bottle over, pierce the cap and collect the medicine in a syringe.

Instructions for performing an injection in the buttock

It is not difficult to give an injection to an adult or children. The main thing is to follow the sequence of actions and know all the nuances of the procedure.

Technique for injection for an adult

The following scheme will help to deliver the injection as painlessly as possible.

1. Lay the patient on a flat surface face down and free the upper part of the buttocks from clothing.
2. Wipe the injection site with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.
3. You need to hold the syringe with your right hand, and with your left pull the skin in the area of ​​the upcoming injection.
4. Insert the needle into the muscle three quarters at a 90-degree angle. The movement of the hand should be confident and fast.
5. Introduce the treatment solution by slowly pressing on the syringe plunger and abruptly remove the needle from the buttock, covering the injured area with an alcohol cotton swab.

It is important to understand that the rapid administration of the medication makes the procedure very painful and can provoke the formation of bumps and lumps.

Treat skin with alcohol before injecting

How to give an injection to a child

Children are heavier than adults to tolerate injections, which are given intramuscularly.

To make the unpleasant procedure as easy as possible for a small organism, several basic nuances should be taken into account:

1. When preparing the injection site, the skin should not be stretched (as in adults), but, on the contrary, should be folded.
2. Massage the desired area of ​​the muscle well.
3. Insert the needle at an angle of 45 degrees.

The rest of the manipulations are the same as for an adult.

Insert the needle at an angle

Intramuscular injections are not recommended to inject into the same place more than 2 times a week. The buttocks should be alternated, and the distance between skin punctures should be 1-2 cm. This will avoid seals in the muscle tissue and pain.

How to inject yourself

There are situations when there is no one to give an intramuscular injection and you have to carry out this manipulation yourself. It is not so convenient to give an injection to yourself, but you can learn how to do a medical procedure if you know the basic nuances.

1. Choose the right posture. Usually they stand in front of a mirror, relaxing the side in which the injection will be made (bend the leg at the knees, resting on the second limb). You can give injections while lying down, while it is recommended to lie on your side.
2. Insert the needle confidently. To do this, you need to take the syringe with your right hand and with a sharp movement make an injection into a previously prepared place on the buttock. Squeeze out the medicine slowly.
3. Complete the procedure correctly. Remove the needle sharply, and treat the puncture area with a cotton swab with alcohol (vodka). Massage thoroughly.

It is important not to inject if the skin on the top of the gluteus muscle is covered with pimples or other damage. In order to avoid infection, it is recommended to inject the medicine into the muscle in the thigh.

If an injection was made in the buttock incorrectly - complications

Incorrectly made injections can provoke serious consequences:

• vascular damage, accompanied by hematomas and abscesses;
• the development of seals and bumps due to poor resorption of the drug;
• inflammation in soft tissues as a result of infection;
• fatty or air embolism (air entering the capillary).

If the injection is incorrect, then a hematoma may appear on the buttock.

If after the injection the buttock hurts, the leg becomes numb, or an allergic reaction appears (redness, swelling), we are talking about the incorrect administration of the medication. In order to prevent complications, it is recommended to see a doctor.

What happens if you put an injection with air

The ingress of a small amount of air into the muscle or intercellular space during the injection is not dangerous. As a result, an air infiltration (lump, bumps) can occur, which is painful and inflamed. To alleviate the condition, draw iodine nets, apply soda compresses, a cabbage leaf.

If air enters the capillary, the dying off of a small vessel occurs. This is not harmful to health, but still refers to the undesirable consequences of an injection with air..

It is not difficult to put injections in the buttock on your own if you follow all the rules of a specific procedure. If the recommendations are violated, the formation of bumps and seals is possible, to which infection and inflammation can join. It is important to pay attention to negative deviations in time in order to prevent the formation of abscesses.