Patient Care Skills Practice Exam

For administering intramuscular medications, the correct injection angle is 90 degrees. This angle is used to ensure that the needle enters the muscle tissue directly, allowing the medication to be injected deeply into the muscle where it can be absorbed effectively. The muscle tissue has a rich blood supply, which facilitates the rapid distribution of the medication throughout the body.

Using a 90-degree angle minimizes the risk of injecting the medication into subcutaneous tissue or fat, which could result in slower absorption and reduced efficacy of the medication. This is particularly important for medications that are intended to act quickly, as intramuscular injections are often used for vaccines and other critical therapies.

In contrast, the other angles listed are more appropriate for different types of injections; for example, a 15-degree angle is typically used for intradermal injections, while 45 degrees might be used for subcutaneous injections, and 75 degrees is not standard for typical injection techniques. Therefore, administering an intramuscular injection at a 90-degree angle ensures that the medication is delivered correctly and effectively.