What are the Common Types of Injections?
The three main types of injections include: Subcutaneous (into the fat layer between the skin and muscle) Intramuscular (deep into a muscle) Intravenous (through a vein).
- Subcutaneous (SubQ)
- Intramuscular (IM)
- Intravenous (IV)
Subcutaneous Injection can be used when the drug effect can be quickly achieved, but oral administration is impossible or inappropriate. For example, oral insulin is easily destroyed by digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract and loses its effect, while subcutaneous injection is quickly absorbed. For drugs and vaccines that are easily soluble, less irritating or non-irritating, they can be injected subcutaneously. The disadvantage is that the workload is large, the injection dose is large, and it is irritating.
Intravenous injection has the fastest effect. It is easy to reach the therapeutic concentration of the drug and maintain the constant concentration required for the therapeutic effect. Drugs that stimulate muscles and subcutaneous tissues can be administered intravenously. Can quickly replenish the fluid or blood lost by the body.
Intramuscular injection has fast absorption, low pain, rapid drug effect, accurate dosage, reliable action, and can produce local and directional effects, but the disadvantage is that it may cause muscle spasm.