Technically Speaking: Let’s Get It Right! How to Avoid Shoulder Injury with Deltoid Intramuscular Injections
Published on in Vaccine Update for Healthcare Providers
Published on in Vaccine Update for Healthcare Providers
During influenza vaccination season, and at all times of the year, it is critically important that clinic staff who administer vaccines avoid injury to patients’ shoulders by being knowledgeable about how to properly administer intramuscular injections in the deltoid muscle.
At the October 2017 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meeting, a presentation titled “Reports of Shoulder Dysfunction Following Inactivated Influenza Vaccine in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), 2010–2016”, included the following background information about shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA):
SIRVA may result in patients having chronic shoulder pain and limited range of motion, and require ongoing medical intervention.
To avoid SIRVA, make sure clinic staff who administer vaccines recognize the anatomic landmarks for identifying the deltoid muscle and use proper intramuscular administration technique.
Contributed by: Deborah Wexler, MD
Categories: Vaccine Update October 2018, Technically Speaking
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