Selecting the proper needle length when vaccinating your patients is critical – vaccine must reach the desired tissue site for optimal immune response to occur. To determine the proper needle length to use in each situation, you must consider the following factors:
Below is a summary of the guidance for choosing the proper needle length for intramuscular and subcutaneous injections based on CDC�s General Best Practice Guidelines for Immunization (Vaccine Administration). Show FOR INFANTS, CHILDREN, AND TEENS Intramuscular (IM) injections: Injection site and needle size
Subcutaneous (Subcut) injections: Injection site and needle size
FOR ADULTS Intramuscular (IM) injections The deltoid muscle is most often used as the site for IM injections in adults. Needle length is usually 1"–1�", 22–25 gauge, but a longer or shorter needle may be needed depending on the patient's weight. Note: An alternate site for IM injection in adults is the anterolateral thigh muscle. The needle length and gauge are the same as when the deltoid muscle is used, i.e., 1"�1�" length, 22�25 gauge. You should choose needle length based on the weight of your adult patients, as follows:
Subcutaneous (Subcut) injections
Administering Vaccines to Adults: Dose, Route, Site, and Needle Size How to Administer Intramuscular and Subcutaneous Vaccine Injections How to Administer Intramuscular and Subcutaneous Vaccine Injections to Adults IAC�s Handouts: Administering Vaccines gateway page IAC�s Clinic Tools: Administering Vaccines gateway page CDC Vaccine Administration gateway page CDC Vaccine Administration Resource Library with instructive videos on vaccine administration CDC Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (�The Pink Book"), Chapter 6, Vaccine Administration: Route and Site
What gauge needle is used for an intradermal injection?To give an intradermal injection, a 25-gauge or smaller needle is inserted just under the epidermis at an angle of approximately 10°. Testing nonhuman primates for the presence of tuberculosis is by skin test using an intradermal injection (Bushmitz et al., 2009).
What needle gauge is used for intradermal injections quizlet?Equipment used for an intradermal injection includes a tuberculin syringe calibrated in tenths and hundredths of a milliliter and a 1/4- to 1/2-inch, 25- or 27-gauge needle.
When giving intradermal injection the position of the needle should be?Hold the syringe in the dominant hand between the thumb and forefinger, with the bevel of the needle up at a 5- to 15-degree angle at the selected site. Place the needle almost flat against the patient's skin, bevel side up, and insert the needle into the skin.
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