Adverse reactions of intramuscular injections associated with injection site selection: a literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12923/pielxxiw-2026-0013Keywords:
safety, application, technique, side effects, intramuscular injectionAbstract
ADVERSE REACTIONS OF INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH INJECTION SITE SELECTION: A LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction. This article aims to determine the adverse reactions associated with the application of intramuscular injections at various injection sites.
Aim. Our study is the literature review with a systematic search strategy. It includes 11 studies from selected databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, and OVID, between October and November 2024. The search was limited to dates between 2019-2024 and the availability of full texts.
Material and methods. Studies often agree that it is important to pay attention to proper application methods and to choose the most suitable injection site based on the condition of the patient, while also addressing the preferences of the medical staff. Some studies differed regarding intramuscular injections (IM) into the ventrogluteal or dorsogluteal area due to the presence of the sciatic nerve.
Conclusions. Intramuscular injections (IMI) are one of the most widely used methods of injecting active substances to a patients. Although this variant of injection is considered very safe, it does carry certain risks. There are several adverse events associated with IM injections, ranging from local events, such as pain, hematoma or redness at the injection site, to more serious events, which include nerve or bone injury and abscess formation. Therefore,, it is important that IM injections are administered carefully and with careful site choice.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Eliška Vaníčková, Valérie Tóthová, Sylva Bártlová (Autor)
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