Intramuscular drugs

Ballard, B.E. (1968). Biopharmaceutical considerations in subcutaneous and intramuscular drug administration. J. Pharm. Sci 57 357-378. 

Intramuscular drug administration 135 Adverse drug reactions invoiving skeietal muscle 136... 

Intramuscular drug administration provides better and more consistent absorption than subcutaneous (s.c.) administration. The rate of absorption is highly dependent upon the blood flow to the site of administration and the solubility of the preparation administered (see Ch. 1). The blood flow to a muscle is dependent upon the cardiovascular status of the animal and the muscle chosen. The capillary density differs between different muscle groups and will increase in fit individuals (Clark et al 1992). Consequently, absorption from the... 

Surber, C., and U. C. Dubach. 1989. Tests for local toxicity of intramuscular drug preparations. Comparison of in vivo and in vitro findings. Arzeneimittel-Forschung 39 1586-1589. 

Needlestick injuries occur quite frequently among health care workers when they draw blood, administer an intravenous or intramuscular drug. 

Intravenous administration of a drug produces the most rapid drug action. Next in order of time of action is the intramuscular route, followed by the subcutaneous route Giving a drug orally usually produces the slowest drug action. 

Parenteral drug administration means the giving of a drug by the subcutaneous (SC), intramuscular (IM), intravenous (IV), or intradermal route (Fig. 2-5). Other routes of parenteral administration that may be used by the primary care provider are intralesional (into a lesion), intra-arterial (into an artery), intracardiac (into the heart), and intra-articular (into a joint), hi some instances, intra-arterial dragp are administered by a nurse. However, administration is not by direct arterial injection but by means of a catheter that has been placed in an artery. 

A subcutaneous (SC) injection places the drug into the tissues between the skin and the muscle (see Fig. 2-5B). Drug administered in this manner are absorbed more slowly than are intramuscular injections. Heparin and insulin are two drug most commonly given by the SC route... 

INTRAMUSCULAR ADMINISTRATION. To promote an optimal response to therapy when giving these drug intramuscularly (IM), the nurse inspects previous injection sites for signs of pain or tenderness, redness, and swelling. In addition, the nurse reports any persistent local reaction to the primary health care provider. It also is important to develop a plan for rotation of injection sites and to record the site used after each injection. 

The nurse obtains the blood pressure, pulse, and respiratory rate 20 to 30 minutes after the drug is administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously, 30 or more minutes if the drug is given orally, and in 5 to 10 minutes if the drug is given intravenously (IV). 

HYDANTOINS Fhenytoin is the most commonly prescribed anticonvulsant because of its effectiveness and relatively low toxicity. However, a genetically linked inability to metabolize phenytoin has been identified. For this reason, it is important to monitor serum concentrations of the drug on a regular basis to detect signs of toxicity Fhenytoin is administered orally and parenterally. If the drug is administered parenterally, the IV route is preferred over the intramuscular route because erratic absorption of phenytoin causes pain and muscle damage at the injection site... 

---