Injection Route

An injection is an unpleasant experience for a person at any age and is particularly traumatic to the small child who often lives in fear to the next "needle prick'. It is essential that those children who are older should be told the truth at all times or their trust in human nature is lost. The child must be told the injection hurts but the pain will soon be over and that the "prick" is to help him to get better soon.

To allay fear and anxiety, the drug should be prepared away from the bed side so that the procedure is over before the child is fully aware of the situation. It is essential that you have another nurse to help restrain the patient while you administer the drug. The most commonly used syringe in paediatric unit is of 2 ml. It is graduated in 0.1 ml(1110 ml) division, so that drug dosage requiring multiples of 0.1 ml can be accurately administered.

For administration of a drug in less than 0.1 ml. 1 ml Mantoux syringe bearing 0.01 ml(1/100 ml) graduation is essential. Special syringes for administration of insulin are graduated in 20 units/ml.

Needles used should be preferably disposable, sharp and straight needle for each injection.

It is essential to remember the colour code used by each manufacture for their own brand of needle according to the diameter of the needle lumen and length. 'Injections, can be administered intramuscular, subscutaneous, intra-venous, hypodermic intrathecal depending on the type of drug to be administered.