Saving the Sciatic Nerve: Why the Ventrogluteal Site is the Better Choice
Destiny White
Lewis and Clark Community College
Nursing 171
Mrs. Johnson
Page Break Saving the Sciatic Nerve: Why the Ventrogluteal Site is the Better Choice
Patient safety is the top priority in any healthcare setting. This ranges from making sure the patient has their call light to assisting them with ambulation. Choosing an injection site is just as important. When choosing an injection site, especially for an intramuscular injection, there has been much controversy as to where is the most efficient and also where it is going to be the most painless for the patient. In recent studies, it has been shown through evidence-based practice that the ventrogluteal site is equally as, if not slightly more, effective as the dorsogluteal site in administering an intramuscular injection. What sets them apart? The dorsogluteal area has the large sciatic nerve running through it and damage to this nerve could cause a plethora of problems. Many healthcare professionals still prefer to use the dorsogluteal site, mostly because of the lack of knowledge involving …show more content…
Administering any kind of injection plays a major role in this, especially intramuscularly. Any number of problems could go wrong when performing this skill, but evidence-based practice shows that many people are simply uneducated about this procedure. Knowledge of injection sites is key. In the debate of ventrogluteal injection versus dorsogluteal injection, the ventrogluteal site is triumphant. Reasons behind this include the ventrogluteal site aids better in medication absorption because of the thicker muscles, and it is safer for patients. Using the dorsogluteal site also increases the risk for sciatic nerve injury. To ensure patient safety while also providing them with exceptional care, use of the ventrogluteal site is the better
Destiny White
Lewis and Clark Community College
Nursing 171
Mrs. Johnson
Page Break Saving the Sciatic Nerve: Why the Ventrogluteal Site is the Better Choice
Patient safety is the top priority in any healthcare setting. This ranges from making sure the patient has their call light to assisting them with ambulation. Choosing an injection site is just as important. When choosing an injection site, especially for an intramuscular injection, there has been much controversy as to where is the most efficient and also where it is going to be the most painless for the patient. In recent studies, it has been shown through evidence-based practice that the ventrogluteal site is equally as, if not slightly more, effective as the dorsogluteal site in administering an intramuscular injection. What sets them apart? The dorsogluteal area has the large sciatic nerve running through it and damage to this nerve could cause a plethora of problems. Many healthcare professionals still prefer to use the dorsogluteal site, mostly because of the lack of knowledge involving …show more content…
Administering any kind of injection plays a major role in this, especially intramuscularly. Any number of problems could go wrong when performing this skill, but evidence-based practice shows that many people are simply uneducated about this procedure. Knowledge of injection sites is key. In the debate of ventrogluteal injection versus dorsogluteal injection, the ventrogluteal site is triumphant. Reasons behind this include the ventrogluteal site aids better in medication absorption because of the thicker muscles, and it is safer for patients. Using the dorsogluteal site also increases the risk for sciatic nerve injury. To ensure patient safety while also providing them with exceptional care, use of the ventrogluteal site is the better