Intramuscular
An intramuscular injection is a technique used to deliver a medication deep into the muscles. This allows the medication to be absorbed into the bloodstream quickly. You may have received an intramuscular injection at a doctor’s office the last time you got a vaccine, like the flu shot.
Intramuscular injections are used to deliver drugs and vaccines. They are a common practice in modern medicine. Several drugs and almost all inactivated vaccines are delivered this way. Intramuscular injections are used when other types of delivery methods are not recommended. These include oral intravenous , and subcutaneous (injected just under the layer of skin). The speed of absorption is faster for intramuscular injection compared to subcutaneous injection. This is because the muscle tissue has a greater blood supply than the area just under the skin. Muscle tissue may also hold a larger volume of medication than subcutaneous tissue. Intramuscular injection may be used instead of intravenous injection because some drugs are irritating to veins. Sometimes, a suitable vein cannot be located. It may be used instead of oral delivery because some drugs are destroyed by the digestive system when a drug is swallowed
Advantages
Disadvantages
Intramuscular injections are used to deliver drugs and vaccines. They are a common practice in modern medicine. Several drugs and almost all inactivated vaccines are delivered this way. Intramuscular injections are used when other types of delivery methods are not recommended. These include oral intravenous , and subcutaneous (injected just under the layer of skin). The speed of absorption is faster for intramuscular injection compared to subcutaneous injection. This is because the muscle tissue has a greater blood supply than the area just under the skin. Muscle tissue may also hold a larger volume of medication than subcutaneous tissue. Intramuscular injection may be used instead of intravenous injection because some drugs are irritating to veins. Sometimes, a suitable vein cannot be located. It may be used instead of oral delivery because some drugs are destroyed by the digestive system when a drug is swallowed
Advantages
- Patient can administer the drug himself
- Larger volume than subcutaneous
- By-pass first pass metabolism
Disadvantages
- Invasive
- patient disconfort
- Irritation,
- inflamation
- Rapid absorption from aqueous solutions.
- Slow absorption from non-aqueous (oily) solutions.
- Easier to inject than intravenous injection.
- Larger volumes may be used compared to subcutaneous solution.
- Irritating drugs may be very painful.
- Variable rates of absorption depending upon muscle group injected and blood flow