Establishment of prediction equations for subcutaneous tissue thickness in two representative intramuscular deltoid injections

This study clarifies the predicted subcutaneous shoulder depth and investigates the safety of the conventional (three-finger breadth method) and new (axillary method) intramuscular injection methods. The anatomical features of 245 volunteers who received the COVID-19 vaccination via the conventional...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ryosuke Kowatari, Hanae Sasaki, Kenyu Murata, Ken Sato, Koichi Sagawa, Masako Kudo, Masahito Minakawa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-08-01
Series:Vaccine: X
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590136223000578
Description
Summary:This study clarifies the predicted subcutaneous shoulder depth and investigates the safety of the conventional (three-finger breadth method) and new (axillary method) intramuscular injection methods. The anatomical features of 245 volunteers who received the COVID-19 vaccination via the conventional method were investigated at the injection site (T point) and the hypothetical injection site using the new method (A point) via ultrasonography. The body mass index (BMI) and subcutaneous thickness at the T point (men: r = 0.75; women: r = 0.45) and the A point (men: r = 0.81; women: r = 0.55) were positively correlated. The upper arm circumference and subcutaneous thickness at the T point (r = 0.51) and the A point (r = 0.58) were correlated in women. Formulas to predict subcutaneous thickness using BMI and upper arm circumference were established: predicted subcutaneous thickness at the A point = 0.62 × BMI − 7.7 mm (R2 = 0.66) in men and 0.658 × BMI − 5.5 mm (R2 = 0.31) in women. This study demonstrates safe intramuscular injection sites and their depth.
ISSN:2590-1362