How to Give a Newborn an IM Injection

Intramuscular (IM) injection refers to a shot of medicine administered into the muscle. It is done through the use of a syringe to which the medicine is drawn. The most common injection site for newborns is at the thickest part of the vastus lateralis muscle situated around the anterolateral area of the upper thigh. Any health care provider must administer injectable medications with proper knowledge regarding standard precautions and must be skilled enough to apply the method accurately--including correct identification of the drug, precise calculation of dosage, administering the drug at the right time and aseptic ways of performing the technique to prevent infection.

Things You'll Need

• Medicine Syringe Cotton swabs Rubbing alcohol

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Instructions

• 1

  Wash your hands thoroughly. Proper hand washing is very important in order to eliminate microorganisms and prevent infection of the injection site.

• 2

  Prepare all the things you need. You have to get the correct medicine vial ready, along with the needle which is of 7/8 to 1-inch and 23 to 25 gauge-- the appropriate needle size for newborns. Also prepare some cotton balls and rubbing alcohol to help disinfect the injection site and the equipments for the procedure.

• 3

  Roll the medicine vial in between your palms and clean its top with an alcohol swab. Take the plastic cover off the needle and put an air into the syringe by pulling it back. The air you are pulling inside the syringe must be of the same amount as the medicine needed.

• 4

  Inject the needle into the cover of the medicine vial and push all the air into the bottle. Make sure that the tip of the needle is properly inserted. Now, without taking the needle off the bottle, hold the bottle upside-down so that the bottle is on top of the syringe.

• 5

  Pull the plunger of the syringe very carefully to draw the medicine out of the vial. You have to pull the plunger a little bit beyond the level of the required dosage. Check for any existing bubbles in the syringe. If there are any, tap the syringe with your finger to let the bubbles settle into the top most part.

• 6

  Push the plunger of the syringe to let the air out of the needle. Keep on pushing the plunger until the top black part of its rubber is leveled at the line that marks the dosage of the medicine. Then carefully take the needle off the vial and cover it.

• 7

  Clean the anterolateral aspect of the patients upper thigh to where the vastus lateralis is located--the ideal injection site among newborn babies. Remove the cover of the needle and hold the syringe like a dart pin. Then quickly insert the needle at 80 to 90 degree angle into the skin.

• 8

  Keep constant pressure on the skin around the injection site using your thumb and index finger as the needle is inserted. Using your free hand, pull back the plunger of the syringe a little bit. If there is no blood present with the suction, continue the procedure. If there is blood, take the needle out, prepare a new dose of medicine and find a new injection site.

• 9

  Proceed with the method by slowly pushing the plunger into the skin. Place a sterile cotton beside the needle, quickly pull the needle out and place the cotton into the injection site. Apply constant pressure into the injection site in order to prevent bleeding. Place the cover of the needle back and dispose it properly. Be very careful not to prick yourself with the used needle.