Is the ventrogluteal site suitable for intramuscular injections in children under the age of three?

Aim This study was conducted to determine whether the ventrogluteal site could be used for intramuscular injections in children under the age of 3 and to compare the subcutaneous and muscle layer thickness at the anterolateral, deltoid and ventrogluteal site in the different age groups and in both s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of advanced nursing 2016-01, Vol.72 (1), p.127-134
Main Authors: Yapucu Güneş, Ülkü, Ceylan, Burcu, Bayındır, Petek
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age Factors
Babies
Buttocks - physiology
Child, Preschool
Female
Gender
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
infants
Injections
Injections, Intramuscular - methods
intramuscular injection
Male
muscle thickness
Muscular system
Nursing
Pediatrics
subcutaneous tissue
Subcutaneous Tissue - physiology
toddlers
ultrasound
Vaccination - methods
Vaccines - administration & dosage
ventrogluteal site
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Summary:Aim This study was conducted to determine whether the ventrogluteal site could be used for intramuscular injections in children under the age of 3 and to compare the subcutaneous and muscle layer thickness at the anterolateral, deltoid and ventrogluteal site in the different age groups and in both sexes. Background Although recent literature has reported that the ventrogluteal area can be an alternative site for intramuscular injections in children ≤12 months of age, little research‐based evidence has been found for the use of the ventrogluteal site in infants and toddlers. Design A descriptive study which took place between November 2013–August 2014. Method A total of 142 children between the ages of 1‐36 months were selected by random sampling and ultrasound measurements were made of subcutaneous and muscle thicknesses in the anterolateral, deltoid and ventrogluteal areas. Measurements were analysed using one‐way anova and independent samples t‐test. Results The subcutaneous tissue thicknesses in the deltoid, anterolateral and ventrogluteal areas in children between 1‐12 months old (n = 56) were 5·20, 6·62 and 7·26 mm respectively, while in children between 13‐24 months old (n = 42), these measurements were 4·35, 6·72 and 7·98 mm; in children between 25‐36 months old (n = 44), the measurements were 5·92, 7·97 and 13·5 mm. The muscle thicknesses in the deltoid, anterolateral and ventrogluteal areas in children 1‐ 12 months old were 5·86, 9·10 and 8·17 respectively, while in children between 13‐24 months old, the measurements were 7·71, 12·92 and 17·32 mm; in children 25‐36 months old, the measurements were 9·28, 18·81 and 19·62 mm. Conclusion This 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.
ISSN:0309-2402
1365-2648
DOI:10.1111/jan.12813