Obesity Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Obesity, including details on health, diet, prevention, exercise.

Intramuscular gluteal injections in the increasingly obese population: retrospective study.

Nisbet AC

Jersey General Hospital, St Helier, Jersey JE2 3QS. kaltarn@yahoo.co.uk

AIMS: To examine depth of subcutaneous fat at gluteal intramuscular injection sites. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: General hospital. PARTICIPANTS: 100 consecutive adults who had computed tomography of the pelvis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Minimum distance between the surface of the skin and the nearest edge of muscle at intramuscular injection sites. RESULTS: 12 patients had a ventrogluteal site depth of more than 35 mm, the maximum depth of a green needle, and 26 had a ventrogluteal depth of more than 25 mm, the maximum depth of a blue needle. 43 patients had a dorsogluteal site depth of more than 35 mm, and 72 had a dorsogluteal depth of more than 25 mm. The intramuscular site was likely to be deeper in women. CONCLUSION: Standard green and blue needles do not reach the gluteal muscles in a considerable number of patients.

Published 17 March 2006 in BMJ, 332(7542): 637-8.
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