In the life of every mother, it may happen that a correctly administered intramuscular injection can save the child’s life, alleviate suffering, and turn out to be a decisive procedure. Therefore, it is very important to know how to properly inject a child.
Living in a foreign country, inability to pay for the services of a medical professional, work schedule - a small list of reasons that encourage every mother to learn how to independently and correctly give intramuscular injections to a child. In this case, it is important to strictly follow the instructions.
Why choose an injection?
An intramuscular injection in the butt is a strong pain and emotional stress for every baby. Therefore, if the disease is at a mild stage and it is possible to change the procedure, talk to your doctor about alternative treatment.
A medicine administered intramuscularly affects the body 3 times faster than a tablet or syrup, works more effectively and does not damage the gastrointestinal tract.
In the event that you need emergency help and time ticks by in minutes, you shouldn’t hesitate or think. You need to act on the source of the lesion, treat the cause and consequences, and give an injection in the butt.
Lawyer's comment
Legal consultant Mikhail Zhamkov:
– According to the order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Ministry of Health of Russia) dated November 5, 2013 No. 822 n “On approval of the Procedure for providing medical care to minors, including during training and education in educational organizations,” schools and kindergartens must provide free allocate and equip premises for medical offices. And children's clinics provide doctors and nurses to work in these offices. All these issues are coordinated with local authorities.
What is needed for the injection?
To give an intramuscular injection to a child, you need to buy at the pharmacy:
- medical alcohol or a special antiseptic for intramuscular injections;
- sterile cotton wool;
- a syringe with a needle of the appropriate size;
- the medicine is in the required dosage (you need to check that the expiration date and contents are appropriate).
The needle is selected depending on the age of the patient. For infants under one year old, you need to use syringes with a dosage of 1 ml; for children 1-5 years old, you can purchase 2 ml. And for patients aged 6 to 9 years, it is recommended to purchase needles 0.5x25 or 0.6x30.
How to prepare for the procedure?
A buttock injection for a child is a micro-intervention in the functioning of a child’s body, which is carried out with the aim of improving the general condition of a small patient. In order not to infect the baby during manipulation, it is important:
- wash your hands clean;
- treat them with a special disinfectant solution or alcohol;
- carefully treat the puncture site before administering the drug and after manipulation.
It is important to remember that young children are very suspicious and timid. Therefore, in order not to frighten the patient, it is better to do all manipulations not in front of the child.
Before giving a child an injection, moral preparation is important for the mother. You need to understand that by causing pain to the baby for just a few moments, the quality and effectiveness of treatment improves. Therefore, in order for the child to be less hysterical, cry and be afraid, the calm appearance of the mother (the person giving the injection) is most important. Decisiveness, understanding and firmness of action are half the success. The second part of it depends solely on the execution technique.
Another important preparatory point before manipulation is the choice of syringe. For children under 3 years of age, experts recommend using 2-cc syringes with a small and sharp needle. In such syringes the needle is very thin, and therefore less painful. If the baby needs to inject more than 2 cubes of the drug at once, then doctors recommend purchasing separately sterile thin needles.
Older patients need to take syringes with longer needles, since if the drug gets under the skin, a lump or abscess may form.
Important! If the medication is to be taken by breaking the integrity of the rubber stopper, then before giving an injection in the butt, you need to replace the needle with a new one.
Not treatment, but prevention
Treatment is not provided in school medical offices. If a child coughs, sneezes, complains of feeling unwell, pain in the throat, arm, stomach... - he should be left at home, and not rely on the help of the school doctor. In addition, your child should not expose other children to the risk of infection.
Article on the topic
Hygiene against colds. Rules of prevention The business of school doctors is prevention. They conduct educational conversations with children: why change shoes indoors, why you need to sneeze into a disposable handkerchief, wash your hands not only before eating and after going to the toilet, but also before it, since in order to use the toilet safely, your hands must also be clean.
Once a year, school doctors organize a preventive examination of students by specialists from the district clinic.
They warn about the spread of infections and parasites: for example, after every holiday they check children's heads for lice.
During an epidemic of influenza or ARVI, the nurse counts the sick every day. If the incidence rate exceeds 20%, the school director, based on the decree of the Chief Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation and the order of the chief sanitary doctor of the region, declares quarantine in a separate class or in the entire school.
The school doctor forms health groups with the physical education teacher; Together with the class teacher, he places students with poor vision at their desks. If a student is found to be overweight, the doctor will give nutritional recommendations.
At the medical office, a student can receive a certificate of no contact with sick children, vaccinations, documents for a camp, sanatorium, hospital, sports section...
Death in the classroom. Why teenagers suddenly die and how to save them Read more
How to take medicine?
Before giving an injection to a child, you need to know:
- time of drug administration;
- chemical properties of the substance;
- what to dilute the medicine with. When the injection is dispensed as a powder in a pharmacy, you need to check with a specialist which component needs to be diluted. At the same time, you need to understand that mixing the drugs is carried out directly in the bottle with the powder. To do this, without opening the ampoule, you need to introduce a diluent (ledocaine or a special solution) through a needle, shake well and re-draw the ready-made medicine into the syringe for intramuscular administration.
- Methods for removing air from a syringe. The absence of air when injecting the drug into the thigh is an important point that is strictly prohibited from being ignored. To remove excess air from the syringe, experts recommend turning it upside down with the needle and tapping the walls a little. This will cause the bubbles to move towards the needle. Then you need to press the piston a little, releasing the remaining air. When the medicine appears at the end of the needle, the air has escaped.
Possible errors and complications after injection
Unfortunately, even experienced nurses do not always give injections to children without consequences. No one is immune from mistakes, but this is not a reason to refuse injections. When you have information and know how to react in different situations, you can help your baby.
| Complication | Why did this happen? | What to do? |
| Hard ball or lump at the injection site | The drug did not dissolve or due to incorrect injection technique it was injected subcutaneously | Apply Traumeel, Levomekol or iodine mesh to the seal |
| Abscess (suppuration of the wound) | Dirt got into the wound or sterility was not maintained during the procedure | Contact a doctor (surgeon) |
| Bruise (hematoma, hemorrhage) | The needle touched a vessel or the drug was injected too quickly | The hematoma will go away on its own; to speed up this process, it can be smeared with heparin ointment |
| Air infiltration (seal, lump) | There is air left in the syringe | The painful lump will go away on its own, but you can lubricate it with Traumeel or Levomekol |
| The needle hit the sciatic nerve (instant burning pain) | The needle is too long or the injection site is chosen incorrectly | Immediately remove the needle and consult a doctor |
To read: A 6-10 year old child is afraid of the dark: reasons and advice from a child psychologist on how to quickly get rid of fear
There are few complications after injections. The lumps are not scary; in most cases they go away on their own, without causing significant discomfort to young patients. The most serious complication is an abscess. Body tissues literally dissolve into pus, but this only happens in advanced cases.
How to mentally prepare a child?
For young children, injections are the biggest punishment, accompanied by pain and fear. And medical vaccination in this case is no exception. You should not deceive your child with stories that everything will happen unnoticed. It’s better to say that it will hurt a little, but your mother will be there to support you through all the experiences. Giving an injection during a child's hysteria is highly undesirable.
You can buy a play set for the doctor in advance and show your child how to give injections to toys, treat them with pills and other methods. This way the baby will see that injections are not a very pleasant treatment, but they are worth being patient for a speedy recovery. After all, what toys take a long time to get sick?
As additional motivation for the child, if there is free money in the family budget, the child can buy a toy, sweets, or a small souvenir. By collecting positive emotions, very soon the child will stop crying, hysterical and will allow him to give injections on his own.
How to give an injection?
To give an injection in the buttock with minimal trauma to the patient, you need to follow a certain sequence:
- Clear the work surface. Take off your pants (tights) and underwear.
- Fix the lower limbs. Even if the baby voluntarily lay down on the couch, when the skin is pierced, the leg may reflexively move.
- Within a minute you can do a light massage of the buttocks. This manipulation will distract the baby and relax the muscles.
- Conditionally divide the buttock into 4 sectors (square) and select the upper outermost quarter of the buttock for the injection.
- Disinfect the puncture site. Before giving the injection, you need to generously and thoroughly wipe the area with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol.
- Clearly, quickly and with a “steady” hand, insert the needle and syringe into the designated area.
- Gradually withdraw the medication from the syringe.
- Pull out the syringe with the needle and wipe the area with cotton wool soaked in alcohol.
If a needle suddenly breaks during the procedure, you need to immediately call an ambulance!
If a young mother has never given injections before, and now has to treat her child at home, experts recommend watching the video on how to give injections to children in the buttocks. Thus, for most parents, the fear of performing manipulation and awareness of the need for the procedure become understandable.
Colim injections. How to give injections in the buttock correctly
The simplest method of subcutaneous administration of drugs is considered to be an 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. Let's figure out how to give an injection in the buttock of a child, an adult and yourself - all the features of introducing the procedure without harm to health.
You can give 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 drug administered:
- for children – 2 ml;
- for adults – 5 ml (very rarely 10 ml).
The volume of the syringe for injecting a child should be no more than 2 ml
Injections with a volume of more than 10 ml are not given into 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.
To prevent the injection of the drug from being too deep, the most suitable needle length is considered to be 4–6 cm. This will also help not to catch the walls of capillaries and nerve endings,
Which part of the buttock should the injections be given?
The upper (outer) part of the buttock is considered a suitable area. To avoid mistakes, the muscle must be visually divided into 4 equal parts. The upper square, namely its middle, will be the area where you need to place the injection.
The most suitable place for injection is in the buttock
The photo clearly shows the area that is best suited for administering medications. The location is far from the sciatic nerve, iliac bone and spinal column, which allows for safe manipulation.
Preparing for intramuscular injection
The results of the procedure depend on a number of simple manipulations:
- Inspect the ampoule with the medicine for its integrity, and also check the expiration date of the drug.
- Collect all the medicine at the bottom of the ampoule. To do this, you will need to lightly shake the ampoule 1-2 times.
- Use a special file (supplied with the preparation) to file the upper part of the glass flask. Usually the incision site is marked with a colored rim.
- Break off the sawn tip 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.
- Release the syringe needle from the protective cap and immerse it in the medicinal liquid. Pull the handle of the instrument towards you and draw out the medicine.
Break the tip of the ampoule and fill the syringe with medicine
When the syringe is filled with liquid, you need to tap it a little with your finger. This will help to collect all the air bubbles and, by gently pressing the piston, bring them out. After this, you can give the injection.
If the main medicinal 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 syringe, inject the required amount of solution into the vial of powder;
- shake thoroughly;
- turn the bottle over, pierce the cap and collect the medicine in the syringe.
When the lid is pierced, the needle becomes dull. To make the injection less painful and to maintain sterility, it is better to replace the needle with a new one before injection.
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 injections in adults
The following scheme will help you give the injection as painlessly as possible.
- Place the patient on a flat surface face down and free the upper part of the buttock from clothing.
- Wipe the injection site with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol.
- You need to hold the syringe with your right hand and stretch the skin in the area of the upcoming injection with your left.
- The needle should be inserted three-quarters of the way into the muscle at an angle of 90 degrees. The hand movement should be confident and fast.
- Inject the medicinal solution by slowly pressing on the syringe plunger and sharply remove the needle from the buttock, covering the injured area with alcohol-soaked cotton wool.
It is important to understand that rapid administration of the medication makes the procedure very painful and can cause the formation of lumps and lumps.
Before the injection, treat the skin with alcohol
How to properly give an injection to a child
Children are heavier than adults to tolerate injections that are given intramuscularly.
To make the unpleasant procedure as easy as possible for a small organism, several basic nuances should be taken into account:
- When preparing the injection site, the skin should not be stretched (as in adults), but rather folded.
- Massage the desired area of the muscle well.
- 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 be injected into the same place more than 2 times a week. The buttocks must be alternated, and the distance between skin punctures should be 1-2 cm. This will avoid compaction 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. Injecting yourself is not so convenient, but you can learn how to do a medical procedure if you know the basic nuances.
- Choose the right pose. Usually they stand in front of a mirror, relaxing the side in which the injection will be given (bend the leg at the knees, resting on the other limb). You can give injections while lying down, but it is recommended to lie on your side.
- Confidently insert the needle. To do this, you need to take the syringe with your right hand and with a sharp movement inject into a previously prepared place on the buttock. Slowly squeeze out the medicine.
- Complete the procedure correctly. Remove the needle sharply and treat the puncture area with cotton wool and alcohol (vodka). Massage thoroughly.
Important!
It is important not to give injections if the skin on the upper part of the gluteal muscle is covered with acne or other damage. To avoid infection, it is recommended to inject the medicine into the muscle on the thigh.
If an injection in the buttock is given incorrectly - complications
Incorrectly given injections can provoke serious consequences:
- vascular damage, which is accompanied by hematomas and abscesses;
- development of compactions and bumps due to poor absorption of the drug;
- inflammation in soft tissues as a result of infection;
- fat or air embolism (air entering a capillary).
If the injection is given incorrectly, a hematoma may appear on the buttock
If after the injection your buttock hurts, your leg goes numb, or an allergic reaction occurs (redness, swelling), we are talking about improper administration of the medicine. To prevent complications, it is recommended to consult a doctor.
What happens if you give an injection with air?
A small amount of air entering the muscle or intercellular space during an injection is not dangerous. As a result, an air infiltrate (compaction, bumps) may occur, which hurts and becomes inflamed. To alleviate the condition, draw iodine nets, apply soda compresses, and cabbage leaves.
If air gets into the capillary, the small vessel dies. This is not harmful to health, but still refers to the undesirable consequences of an injection with air.
Injecting the buttock yourself is not difficult if you follow all the rules of the specific procedure. If the recommendations are not followed, lumps and lumps may form, which may be accompanied by infection and inflammation. It is important to pay attention to negative deviations in time to prevent the formation of abscesses.
How else to prepare your baby for vaccination?
It's no secret that vaccinations should only be done in a clinic. In this case, panic, crying and tears from children simply cannot be avoided. In order to make the child feel as positive about the procedure as possible, it is important to explain the essence of the manipulation and the reason.
Often, to get rid of tension in immunology rooms there are toys and bright pictures. They serve as an excellent distraction maneuver to put the baby in the right position and vaccinate as painlessly as possible.
After a successful injection, be sure to praise the child, tell him how proud you are and how much you admire his courage.
In conclusion, it should be noted that only the right approach and competent execution of the manipulation can guarantee success. Do not intimidate, deceive a child, or instill fear of medical personnel. The absence of fear and confidence in the support of loved ones will be real helpers of effective treatment.
