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Did you know there are many types of injections? From muscle to bone marrow, each one is different!
Injection, also often called "shot" by Americans, "jab" by British people, and "jag" by Scots, is the injection of liquid, especially medicine, through a needle (usually a hypodermic needle) and The process of syringe delivery into the body. This method is considered a form of parenteral drug delivery and allows for more rapid absorption of drugs, avoiding the so-called "first-pass effect." Like the different parts of the body, there are many types of injections, ranging from common options such as subcutaneous, intramuscular, and intravenous injections, to even less common options such as epidural, intraperitoneal, and bone marrow.
It is estimated that at least 16 billion injections are administered each year in developing and transitional countries, of which 95% are used to treat disease, 3% are used for vaccination, and the remainder are used for other purposes, including blood transfusions.
Injections usually give a single dose of the drug, but can also be used to provide a sustained release of the drug. These are called "depot injections." Although injections have their advantages, they inevitably leave small puncture wounds on the body that may cause local pain or infection. The incidence of these side effects varies depending on the injection site, the substance injected, the thickness of the needle, and other factors. Less common serious side effects, such as gangrene, sepsis, and nerve damage, may also occur.
To reduce pain during an injection, health care professionals often cool or anesthetize the injection site to ease discomfort.
The most common classifications of injection types include systemic injections and local injections. Systemic injections mean that the effects of the drug are systemic. These injections are usually given to patients who cannot take the drug by mouth, or when the drug cannot be absorbed from the digestive tract. Intravenous (IV) is the most common of these because it achieves the desired effect the fastest, as the drug enters the bloodstream immediately and is quickly circulated throughout the body.
In contrast, intramuscular injection (IM) and subcutaneous injection (SC) inject drugs into muscle tissue or subcutaneous fat, and the absorption rate is slower than intravenous injection. The most common intramuscular injection sites include the deltoid, lateral thigh muscles, and deep gluteal muscles, while subcutaneous injections are usually given in the fatty tissue of the upper arm.
Intramuscular injections are often used for psychotropic drugs and vaccines, while subcutaneous injections, such as insulin treatments, are particularly suitable for slowly releasing drugs.
In addition, there are xiphoid injection (ID) and bone marrow injection (IO). A xiphoid process injection injects medication directly under the skin, while a bone marrow injection injects medication through a needle directly into the bone marrow of a large bone and is typically used in emergencies where intravenous injection is not possible.
Injections with long-term effects
Long-acting injections are usually not designed for a quick effect, but rather for sustained release of the drug at a predicted rate. These injections, which come in the form of depot injections and solid implants, are designed to increase treatment compliance and reduce the frequency of patients taking medications, which is particularly important for patients with certain chronic conditions.
For example, long-acting injections of deoxygenated hormones can release the drug stably over a period of time, which is critical to improving patient medication compliance.
However, all injections carry risks associated with the pain of piercing the skin itself and the possibility of infection. The most common side effect of injections is pain, and studies have shown that distracting attention during injections, using ice cubes or local anesthetics can effectively reduce pain. When pathogens are accidentally introduced during the injection of drugs, it may lead to the spread of blood-borne diseases such as needle stick infections, hepatitis, and HIV.
While there are so many different types of injections, have you ever wondered how these different types of injections affect our overall health?
