PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Most nurses don't use recommended intramuscular injection site despite potential risks

Buttock site still most popular despite known potential for sciatic nerve injury

2011-05-10
(Press-News.org) Seven out of ten hospital nurses who took part in a Canadian study used the dorsogluteal (DG) buttock site to administer intramuscular injections - despite the potential risks of sciatic nerve injury - with only 14% using the ventrogluteal (VG) hip site recommended by the nursing literature.

The research, published in the May issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing, found that younger, newer nurses were significantly more likely to follow the latest VG site advice than their older, experienced colleagues. It also discovered that more than one in four nurses using the DG site were unaware of the potential risk of nerve damage.

Just over 40% of the staff nurses surveyed responded to the postal questionnaire. Most of the 264 respondents were aged between 30 and 49 years and had been working in nursing for more than ten years.

"Recent nursing literature suggests that the VG site is preferable because it is located away from major nerves and muscles, can provide better access to muscle tissue and offers faster medication uptake" says lead author Lorna Walsh, a nurse educator at the Centre for Nursing Studies, St John's, Canada.

"It's estimated that more than twelve billion intramuscular injections are administered every year throughout the world and unsafe injection practices have a significant impact on patient ill health and death. Complications can include skin and tissue trauma, muscle fibrosis and contracture, nerve palsies and paralysis, abscesses and gangrene.

"Although three-quarters of the nurses in our study said they were aware of potential nerve damage when using the DG site, this site was used significantly more often than other sites."

Key findings of the study include:

71% of the nurses preferred using the DG site (buttock), 14% the VG site (hip), 7% the deltoid site (upper arm) and 7% the vastus lateralis site (thigh).

44% of the nurses gave intramuscular injections very frequently (four to five a week), 21% frequently (one to four a week), 18% occasionally (less than one to four a week) and 17% seldom or never (less than one a month).

Only 15% of nurses based their site selection on the recommendations in the nursing literature. 85% used the site they felt most comfortable with, 80% said ease of locating the injection site influenced their choice, 60% followed the recommendation of their nursing education programme and 56% followed traditional usage.

Patient discomfort was the most frequent complication - 78% for the DG site, 88% for the VG site, 90% for the vastus lateralis site and 100% for the deltoid site.

The potential for nerve injury was the second most mentioned complication - by 74% using the DG site, 30% using the VG site, 32% using the vastus lateralis site and 53% using the deltoid site.

The relationship between site selection and awareness of potential nerve injury was significant. 74% of nurses who routinely used the DG site recognised the potential for nerve injury, but 26% did not. 70% of nurses who used the VG site stated correctly that nerve damage was not a recognised complication, but 30% thought it was.

Site selection varied significantly with age. 67% of nurses aged 20-24 used the VG site. The figures then declined rapidly by age group to 28% (25 to 29 years), 10% (30 to 39), 5% (40 to 49) and 8% (50 plus).

The reverse was true for the DG site, ranging from 89% of nurses in the oldest age group down to 33% of nurses in the youngest age group.

Site selection also varied by education, with 30% of baccalaureate prepared nurses using the VG site, compared with 5% of diploma prepared nurses.

The nurses who had been in nursing the longest were most likely to use the DG site (81% for 20 plus years versus 41% for one to four years) and newer nurses were most likely to use the VG site (44% for one to four years versus 5% for 20 plus years).

"Our research clearly shows that the majority of nurses are not using the VG site, as recommended in the recent nursing literature, and further research is needed to find out why" says co-author and fellow nurse educator Kathleen Brophy.

"Advocates of the VG site also need to base their rationale for using this site on reasons other than potential sciatic nerve damage when using the DG site, as the majority of nurses are aware of this, but still use the site.

"We also feel that additional research is needed to explore the safety of properly-mapped DG injections."

### Notes to editors

Staff nurses' sites of choice for administering intramuscular injections to adult patients in the acute care setting. Walsh L and Brophy K. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 67.5, pp1034-1040. (May 2011) DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05527.x

The Journal of Advanced Nursing (JAN) is an international, peer-reviewed, scientific journal. JAN contributes to the advancement of evidence-based nursing, midwifery and healthcare by disseminating high quality research and scholarship of contemporary relevance and with potential to advance knowledge for practice, education, management or policy. http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/JAN

Wiley-Blackwell is the international scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons, with strengths in every major academic and professional field and partnerships with many of the world's leading societies. Wiley-Blackwell publishes nearly 1,500 peer-reviewed journals and 1,500+ new books annually in print and online, as well as databases, major reference works and laboratory protocols. For more information, please visit www.wileyblackwell.com or our new online platform, Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), one of the world's most extensive multidisciplinary collections of online resources, covering life, health, social and physical sciences, and humanities.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Study of health in Brazil highlights major progress

2011-05-10
Major progress has been made in reducing the burden of infectious diseases in Brazil as part of a "remarkable" success story for health in the South American country, according to researchers on a series of papers published in The Lancet. After decades of marked social change, including the introduction of unified healthcare for all, Brazil can also celebrate a reduction in mortality from chronic diseases and huge inroads into improving maternal and child health. But the nation still faces problems – including some infectious diseases such as dengue and leishmaniasis, ...

Blood test for colon cancer screening beneficial for some seniors, but not for many others

2011-05-10
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – A new study of U.S. veterans ages 70 and older finds that the healthiest get the most benefit from current colon cancer screening methods. However, for many less healthy veterans the burdens of screening may outweigh the benefits. "This study shows that we really need to target screening in older adults, so that those who will benefit do get screened and followed-up while those who won't benefit aren't exposed to unnecessary burdens," said Christine E. Kistler, MD, assistant professor of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel ...

Hide files within files for better data security

2011-05-10
Steganography is a form of security through obscurity in which information is hidden within an unusual medium. An artist might paint a coded message into a portrait, for instance, or an author embed words in the text. A traditional paper watermark is a well-known example of steganography in action. At first glance, there would appear to be nothing unusual about the work, but a recipient aware of the presence of the hidden message would be able to extract it easily. In the computer age, steganography has become more of a science than an art. Those intent on hiding information ...

Flying the flag: Does it matter?

2011-05-10
Flying the EU flag on public buildings on Europe Day (Monday, 9th May) has no impact on public attitudes to the EU. But EU symbols used in practical ways such as at airport passport controls can polarise attitudes to the EU amongst the Scots and Welsh, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Strathclyde, but have little impact on people in England. The research suggests that a split in the UK Coalition on whether to fly the EU flag over public buildings in Whitehall ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13321460) would be based on unfounded ...

Positech Corporation Launches New Website Featuring Media Library and Enhanced Search Options

2011-05-10
Positech Corporation, the leading manufacturer of material handling equipment in North America is pleased to announce they have launched a brand-new design for their website. The website address www.positech.com remains the same, but has been completely reworked to make it more user-friendly and far more comprehensive in its offerings. Positech Corporation's new site features a video library of their products, enhanced search capabilities and a variety of case studies to view. The goal of the new site is educating end-users seeking material handling solutions that will ...

Coroners wrong to say no to post-mortem tissue collection, academics argue

2011-05-10
The creation of a post-mortem tissue archive for a study of the human form of mad cow disease failed because of a "misguided" refusal by coroners to participate. The Coroners' Society of England and Wales (CSEW) did not recognise its "moral obligation to protect public health" from potential new risks associated with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) when it decided not to allow the collection of tissue from autopsies. That is the conclusion of a paper co-written by a researcher at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, which has been published online ...

A study analyzes the legal problems of social networks

A study analyzes the legal problems of social networks
2011-05-10
This release is available in Spanish. This study, published in the journal El Profesional de la Información by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid professor, Antonia Salvador and the UC3M professor, Maria Estrella Gutiérrez, deals with how traditional communication media are implementing applications based on Internet, built upon the ideological and technological basics of the Web 2.0, which allows forms of interaction based on collaborative participation and on the contents generated by the user himself. "Using these social media is a way to capture an audience ...

RakeTheRake Unveils its New Re-branded Site!

RakeTheRake Unveils its New Re-branded Site!
2011-05-10
RakeTheRake.com has today re-branded and re-launched its website to offer its online poker players a highly improved user experience and a wealth of new features and functionality. The new site provides players with a simplified sign up process, an enhanced Your Account area, in-depth rakeback and referral statistics, video tutorials to key areas of the site, and launches two brand new functions; the RakeTheRake forum and free poker training. RakeTheRake, founded seven years ago, has always prided itself on providing the highest levels of customer service in conjunction ...

Sexy clothes: Too much, too young

2011-05-10
Are clothing manufacturers helping to turn young girls into sex objects? According to a new study, up to 30 percent of young girls' clothing available online in the US is 'sexy' or sexualizing. The study was carried out by Samantha Goodin, a former Kenyon College (Ohio, USA) student and a research team led by Dr. Sarah Murnen, Professor of Psychology at Kenyon College. In their view, this has serious implications for how girls evaluate themselves according to a sexualized model of feminine physical attractiveness. It makes them confront the issue of sexual identity at a ...

NIH study describes fast, sensitive blood test for human prion disease

2011-05-10
WHAT: Scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), report that they have developed a method—10,000 times more sensitive than other methods—to detect variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (vCJD) in blood plasma. vCJD is a type of prion disease in humans that leads to brain damage and death. The NIAID researchers also used the test to rapidly detect scrapie, a prion disease of sheep, in infected hamsters, some pre-symptomatic. Prion diseases, also known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Breakthrough study reveals bumetanide treatment restores early social communication in fragile X syndrome mouse model

Neuroscience leader reveals oxytocin's crucial role beyond the 'love hormone' label

Twelve questions to ask your doctor for better brain health in the new year

Microelectronics Science Research Centers to lead charge on next-generation designs and prototypes

Study identifies genetic cause for yellow nail syndrome

New drug to prevent migraine may start working right away

Good news for people with MS: COVID-19 infection not tied to worsening symptoms

Department of Energy announces $179 million for Microelectronics Science Research Centers

Human-related activities continue to threaten global climate and productivity

Public shows greater acceptance of RSV vaccine as vaccine hesitancy appears to have plateaued

Unraveling the power and influence of language

Gene editing tool reduces Alzheimer’s plaque precursor in mice

TNF inhibitors prevent complications in kids with Crohn's disease, recommended as first-line therapies

Twisted Edison: Bright, elliptically polarized incandescent light

Structural cell protein also directly regulates gene transcription

Breaking boundaries: Researchers isolate quantum coherence in classical light systems

Brain map clarifies neuronal connectivity behind motor function

Researchers find compromised indoor air in homes following Marshall Fire

Months after Colorado's Marshall Fire, residents of surviving homes reported health symptoms, poor air quality

Identification of chemical constituents and blood-absorbed components of Shenqi Fuzheng extract based on UPLC-triple-TOF/MS technology

'Glass fences' hinder Japanese female faculty in international research, study finds

Vector winds forecast by numerical weather prediction models still in need of optimization

New research identifies key cellular mechanism driving Alzheimer’s disease

Trends in buprenorphine dispensing among adolescents and young adults in the US

Emergency department physicians vary widely in their likelihood of hospitalizing a patient, even within the same facility

Firearm and motor vehicle pediatric deaths— intersections of age, sex, race, and ethnicity

Association of state cannabis legalization with cannabis use disorder and cannabis poisoning

Gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia and future neurological disorders

Adoption of “hospital-at-home” programs remains concentrated among larger, urban, not-for-profit and academic hospitals

Unlocking the mysteries of the human gut

[Press-News.org] Most nurses don't use recommended intramuscular injection site despite potential risks
Buttock site still most popular despite known potential for sciatic nerve injury