Administering Injections

ADMINISTERING
INJECTIONS
(PARENTERAL ROUTE)
REFERENCES
 Sienkiewicz, S. & Palmunen, J. (2017) Clinical nursing calculations.

Burlingotn, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Taylor, C., Lillis, C., Lynn, P., & LeMone, P. (2015). Fundamentals of nursing
(8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.
SYRINGE SIZES AND CALIBRATIONS
Syringe Size (volume) Calibration
0.5 mL tuberculin Hundredth ( 0.01 mL)
1 mL tuberculin Hundredth (0.01 mL)
3 mL standard Tenth (0.1 mL)
5 mL large volume Two-tenths (0.2 mL)
10 mL large volume Two-tenths (0.2 mL)
20 to 60 mL large volume Whole number (1 mL)
(Sienkiewicz & Palmunen, 2017, p. 232)

RULES BASED ON SYRINGE SIZE
Volume to give Syringe size Rounding rules
Less than 1 mL and does Use 1 mL or 0.5 mL Round to the nearest

not calculate evenly to syringe hundredth
tenths ( ex: 0.542 mL) (calibrated in hundredths) ( 0.54 mL)
Less than 1 mL but 1 mL or smaller No need to round…

greater than or equal to (calibrated in hundredths) volume can be measured
0.5 mL; calculates or 3 mL (calibrated in in tenths
exactly in tenths (0.8 mL) tenths)
1 mL to 3 mL 3 mL (calibrated in Round to the nearest

(ex: 2.68 mL) tenths) tenth ( 2.7 mL)
(Sienkiewicz &
Palmunen, 2017, p. 233)
NEEDLE GAUGES AND LENGTHS
 SUBCUTANEOUS INJECTION
 ** 25 – 30 GAUGE
 ** GAUGE DEPENDS ON SOLUTION/MEDICATION
 ** 3/8 INCH TO 1 INCH BUT MOSTLY 3/8, ½ AND 5/8 INCH
 ** LENGTH DEPENDS ON BUILD (AMOUNT OF SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUE)
 INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTION
 ** 18 – 25 GAUGE (MORE VISCOUS, OIL BASED THE LOWER THE GAUGE)
 ** 5/8 INCH TO 1 ½ INCH (LENGTH DEPENDS ON SITE AND AGE)
 Also see Sienkiewicz & Palmunen, 2017, p. 76
MAXIMUM INJECTION VOLUMES FOR
ADMINISTRATION SITES
Route/Site Maximum Volume
Intradermal (ID) 0.1 mL

Subcutaneous (SQ) 1 mL (adult) 0.5 mL (child)
Intramuscular (IM)
Adult: vastus lateralis 3 mL
ventrogluteal 3 mL
deltoid 1 mL
Child: vastus lateralis 6 – 12 years 2 mL
vastus lateralis 0 – 5 years 1 mL
vastus lateralis premature inf. 0.5 mL
(Sienkiewicz & Palmunen,2017, p. 232)

SYRINGE CALIBRATION PRACTICE
 SEE HANDOUT FOR DIRECTIONS.

SITES FOR INJECTIONS
 SUBCUTANEOUS SITES
 ** UPPER LATERAL ARM
 ** ABDOMEN (COSTAL MARGIN TO THE ILIAC CRESTS)
 ** ANTERIOR THIGH
 ** UPPER BACK
 ** UPPER GLUTEAL AREA
 INTRAMUSCULAR SITES
 ** VENTROGLUTEAL (adults)
 ** DELTOID (adults and children over 1 yr.)
 ** VASTUS LATERALIS (LATERAL/MIDDLE THIGH) (all ages)
 (Taylor, et al., 2015, pp. 778-783)
DOSAGE CALCULATION –
CASE APPROACH
 C = CONVERT to like units of measurement
 A = APPROXIMATE or estimate the amount to administer
 S = SOLVE or perform dosage calculation (ratio-proportion; dimensional
analysis; or formula method)
 E = EVALUATE or check the dosage calculation and compare to approximated
amount
 (Sienkiewicz & Palmunen, 2017, p. 158)

Ratio-proportion calculations
 Order reads: Administer thiamine 75 mg IM three times a day
 Supply of med (dosage strength): thiamine 100 mg/mL
 CONVERT: order and supply are both in milligrams so no conversion of units is
needed
 APPROXIMATE: Ordered dose, 75 mg, is ¾ of the amount supplied in 1 mL.
So, 0.75 mL will be needed to administer the correct dose.
 SOLVE: One of the three methods of calculation
 Ratio-proportion supplied dose = ordered dose
dosage unit amount to administer (x)
EVALUATE: redo the equation with the answer figured

CONVERSION TO LIKE UNITS
 ORDERED DOSE: 0.35 g
 SUPPLY: 250 mg/5 mL
 CONVERT using Ratio-proportion: set up known equivalency
on the left against the unknown equivalency on the right
1g = 0.35 g
1,000 mg x mg
x = 1,000 X 0.35
x = 350 mg (Does this make sense?)
( or move decimal 3 places to right when multiplying)
DETERMINING AMOUNT TO ADMINISTER
CALCULATION PROBLEMS
 1. ORDER: GENTAMICIN 65 mg IM every 8 hours
SUPPLY: GENTAMICIN 40 mg/ mL
Now, convert, approximate, solve, evaluate.
2. ORDER: LORAZEPAM 1 mg IM one time dose, 2 hours before surgery
SUPPLY: LORAZEPAM 2 mg/mL
3. ORDER: 30 mg of med
SUPPLY: 20 mg/mL
(Sienkiewicz & Palmumen, 2017, pp. 236 – 237)
RECONSTITUTION OF POWDERED MED
LOOK FOR DIRECTIONS FOR RECONSTITUTING ON PACKAGE INSERT AND LABEL
LOCATE CORRECT DILUENT AS SPECIFIED ON LABEL
(CHOICES ARE BACTERIOSTATIC WATER, STERILE WATER, STERILE NORMAL SALINE AND SOMETIMES
LIDOCAINE WHICH WOULD BE ORDERED)
** DRAW UP CORRECT AMOUNT OF DILUENT INTO SYRINGE ( BE SURE OF ROUTE OF DRUG!!)
( SEE SKILL 5-4 REMOVING MEDICATION FROM A VIAL )
** ADD DILUENT TO POWDERED MEDICATION/ SHAKE TO DISSOLVE
** KNOW THE RESULTING DOSAGE STRENGTH
** CALCULATE THE AMOUNT OF RECONSTITUTED MEDICATION NEEDED TO ADMINISTER THE PRESCRIBED
DOSE
** DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF DOSES IN THE MULTI-DOSE VIAL
** LABEL MULTI-DOSE VIAL WITH DATE, TIME, DOSAGE STRENGTH, STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS, DISCARD DATE
AND INITIALS
(Sienkiewicz & Palmunen, 2017, pp. 239 – 256)

(Taylor, et al., 2015, p.778)
REMOVING MEDICATIONS FROM A VIAL
 1. WHAT IS THE DOSAGE STRENGTH OF YOUR RECONSTITUTED POWDERED

MED?
 2. YOU ARE TO ADMINISTER 100 mg of medication SUBCUTANEOUSLY.
 3. PREPARE YOUR SYRINGE USING THE CORRECT SYRINGE AND NEEDLE.
 4. WHAT SITE (s) WILL YOU ADMINISTER THIS INTO?
 5. PRACTICE SUBCUTANEOUS INJECTION TECHNIQUE. (SKILL 5-7)
 (Taylor, et al., 2015, p. 776)

INSULIN ADMINISTRATION
 1. USES THE SUBCUTANEOUS ROUTE
 2. USES AN INSULIN SYRINGE CALIBRATED AT 100U (UNITS) / ML
 3. USE A 30U SYRINGE FOR LESS THAN 30 UNITS; 50U SYRINGE FOR LESS THAN
50UNITS AND 100U SYRINGE FOR LESS THAN 100 (THE SMALLER THE DOSE,
BETTER TO USE THE SMALLER UNIT SYRINGE FOR ACCURACY)
 4. UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF INSULIN
 5. UNDERSTAND THE BASICS OF HYPERGLYCEMIA AND HYPOGLYCEMIA AND
DIABETIC CONTROL
 6. UNITS AND TYPES ORDERED ARE GIVEN TO MAINTAIN STEADY BLOOD
GLUCOSE LEVELS (TAKING INTO ACCOUNT PATIENT DIET, EXERCISE, STRESS,
BASAL METABOLIC NEEDS, BODY WEIGHT)
 (Taylor, et al., 2015, pp. 777-778)
MIXING MEDICATIONS FROM TWO VIALS
IN ONE SYRINGE (INSULIN)
 1. REFER TO SKILL 5-5.
** MODIFIED INSULIN (NPH – CLOUDY) IS ROLLED OR AGITATED TO MIX.
** INJECT EQUAL AMOUNTS OF AIR IN MODIFIED VIAL
FIRST…….STOP…..INJECT EQUAL AMOUNT OF AIR (TO MED WITHDRAWN) INTO
UNMODIFIED VIAL (REGULAR) WITHDRAW UNMODIFIED MED THEN GO BACK TO
MODIFIED AND WITHDRAW CORRECT AMOUNT OF INSULIN
 2. REVIEW SLIDING SCALE ORDER SHEETS.
 3. EPIC (OHIO HEALTH) INSULIN ADMINISTRATION REVIEW.
 4. PRACTICE DRAWING UP TWO DIFFERENT INSULINS WITH ORDERS ON CARDS.
 5. CHECK EACH OTHER’S ORDER AND SYRINGE BEFORE ADMINISTRATION.
 6. PRACTICE SUBCUTANEOUS INJECTION TECHNIQUE. (SKILL 5-7)
 (Taylor, et al., 2015, pp. 814-817)
REMOVING MEDICATION FROM AN
AMPULE; USING IM INJECTION TECHNIQUE
 1. CHECK MED.
 2. OBTAIN CORRECT SYRINGE AND NEEDLE FOR VOLUME, SITE, (ADULT) AND
CONNECT FILTER NEEDLE FIRST TO SYRINGE.
 3. OPEN AMPULE USING ASEPTIC TECHNIQUE….FLICK MED FROM NECK OF
AMPULE DOWN INTO BODY OF AMPULE.
 4. USE ALCOHOL PAD OR 2X2 PAD TO BREAK AMPULE
 5. USING FILTER NEEDLE DRAW UP CORRECT AMOUNT OF MED.
 6. WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF AIR IN SYRING BARREL, SCOOP FILTER NEEDLE
CAP BACK ON, REMOVE FROM SYRINGE AND ATTACH ADMINISTRATION NEEDLE
APPROPRIATE FOR THIS INJECTION.
 7. PRACTICE ADMINISTERING AN IM INJECTION (SKILL 5-8)
 (Taylor, et al., 2015, pp. 775-776)
INTRADERMAL INJECTION
 1. USE TUBERCULIN SYRINGE

 2. WITHDRAW 0.05 mL from reconstituted vial.
 3. FOLLOW SKILL 5-6.
(ANGLE OF ADMINISTRATION IS _____________________)
( WHAT SHOULD APPEAR ON THE SKIN _______________)
(Taylor, et al., 2015, p.778)

REFERENCES
 SEE SLIDE #2 FOR TWO LISTED REFERENCES.

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ADMINISTERING

 Sienkiewicz, S. & Palmunen, J. (2017) Clinical nursing calculations.

0.5 mL tuberculin Hundredth ( 0.01 mL)

1 mL tuberculin Hundredth (0.01 mL)

3 mL standard Tenth (0.1 mL)

5 mL large volume Two-tenths (0.2 mL)

10 mL large volume Two-tenths (0.2 mL)

20 to 60 mL large volume Whole number (1 mL)

(Sienkiewicz & Palmunen, 2017, p. 232)

Less than 1 mL and does Use 1 mL or 0.5 mL Round to the nearest

Less than 1 mL but 1 mL or smaller No need to round…

1 mL to 3 mL 3 mL (calibrated in Round to the nearest

Intradermal (ID) 0.1 mL

(Sienkiewicz & Palmunen,2017, p. 232)

 SEE HANDOUT FOR DIRECTIONS.

 (Sienkiewicz & Palmunen, 2017, p. 158)

(Sienkiewicz & Palmunen, 2017, p. 163)

(Sienkiewicz & Palmunen, 2017, pp. 239 – 256)

 1. WHAT IS THE DOSAGE STRENGTH OF YOUR RECONSTITUTED POWDERED

 (Taylor, et al., 2015, p. 776)

 1. USE TUBERCULIN SYRINGE

(Taylor, et al., 2015, p.778)

 SEE SLIDE #2 FOR TWO LISTED REFERENCES.

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