Pediatric Nursing Q 159
A nurse prepares to administer a 3ml injection via intramuscular injection to a 5-year-old child. The nurse selects which site to administer the medication?
A. Rectus femoris
B. Deltoid
C. Ventrogluteal
D. Vastus lateralis
Correct Answer: C. Ventrogluteal
Intramuscular injection sites are chosen based on the child’s age and muscle development. The ventrogluteal muscle is the ideal choice to administer 0.5ml-3ml amount of injection on a 3-12-year-old child. A study found that the muscle in the ventrogluteal site is adequately developed, even in infants between the ages of 1-12 months and that in particular, in children 12-36 months old, the ventrogluteal site is even thicker than the anterolateral.
Option A: This site only allows 2ml of injection. Do not use the inner thigh or back of the thigh. Divide the thigh into thirds; the injection site is in the middle third section. To inject into the thigh, the needle size must be at least 16 mm long but may need to be longer depending on the child’s size.
Option B: This allows 0.5-1ml amount of injection. This is the top, upper part of the arm. Only inject on this site if the health-care provider instructs that this is an appropriate injection site for the child. To inject into the deltoid, the needle size must be 16 mm.
Option D: For most infants, the vastus lateralis muscle in the anterolateral thigh is the recommended site for injection because it provides a large muscle mass. The deltoid muscle is preferred for children aged 3 through 18 years. The vastus lateralis muscle in the anterolateral thigh is an alternative site if the deltoid sites cannot be used.