Which of the following describes the process for administering an intramuscular injection?

The process for administering an intramuscular injection involves several important steps to ensure safety, efficacy, and proper technique. The correct answer highlights the significance of cleaning the injection site, which is crucial to minimize the risk of infection. Cleaning the skin with an antiseptic solution helps remove bacteria and contaminates from the surface, creating a safer environment for the injection.

Inserting the needle at a 90-degree angle is essential when delivering an intramuscular injection because it allows the medication to penetrate the muscle tissue effectively. This angle ensures that the medication is deposited deeply enough into the muscle for optimal absorption.

Aspirating for blood before injecting the medication is a step that some practitioners follow to check if the needle has inadvertently entered a blood vessel. If blood is aspirated into the syringe, it indicates that the needle tip is within a blood vessel, and the injection site should be changed to avoid injecting the medication intravascularly, which could cause complications.

Finally, injecting the medication, once the previous steps have been completed correctly, ensures that the patient receives the intended dose in the appropriate tissue.

The other choices present methods that are either unsafe or inappropriate for intramuscular injections. Not cleaning the site is a practice that increases infection risk, using a sub