Quartermaine S, Taylor R
Nurs Times. 1995;91(30):36-9.
Depot injections of long-acting neuroleptic drugs, by maintaining a consistent drug regime, together with regular contact with health-care professionals, are an important factor in helping psychiatric patients who live in the community. As these injections are administered over a long period--often for years--it is important that care is taken to minimise discomfort and to reduce the incidence of problems at the injection site. Seepage of even small amounts of the medication will result in an inaccurate dose being absorbed and, owing to the irritant nature of many of these drugs, leakage into subcutaneous tissue and on to the skin surface can cause pain, irritation and lesions. This study was set up to compare two techniques of administering deep intramuscular injections to determine which best fulfilled the criteria of preventing seepage while causing as little discomfort as possible. The two methods used were the Z-track, which is standard practice in the UK, and the air bubble, which is widely taught and used in Canada and the USA. The study showed the air-bubble method to be significantly more effective at controlling seepage than the Z-track.
通过维持一致的用药方案以及与医护专业人员定期接触，长效抗精神病药物的长效注射剂是帮助社区精神疾病患者的一个重要因素。由于这些注射剂的使用时间很长——通常长达数年——因此必须注意尽量减少不适，并降低注射部位出现问题的发生率。即使少量药物渗漏也会导致吸收剂量不准确，而且由于许多这类药物具有刺激性，渗漏到皮下组织和皮肤表面会引起疼痛、刺激和损伤。本研究旨在比较两种深部肌内注射技术，以确定哪种技术最能满足防止渗漏且尽量减少不适的标准。所使用的两种方法是英国的标准做法Z形肌内注射法，以及在加拿大和美国广泛教授和使用的气泡法。研究表明，气泡法在控制渗漏方面比Z形肌内注射法显著更有效。
