Question

Once the needle has been inserted for a subcutaneous injection, the syringe plunger is retracted slightly, and the needle hub is checked for blood prior to giving the injection. If blood appears in the hub, What should be done?

1) Continue with the injection as planned
2) Withdraw the needle and start again with a new needle and syringe
3) Inject the medication slowly
4) Clean the needle hub and continue with the injection

Answer 1

If blood appears in the needle hub during a subcutaneous injection, the correct action is to withdraw the needle and start again with a new needle and syringe.

Step-by-step explanation:

If blood appears in the needle hub during the aspiration step of a subcutaneous injection, it indicates that the needle may have entered a blood vessel. The correct action to take in this situation is to withdraw the needle and start again with a new needle and syringe. This is because injecting medication into the bloodstream can have different pharmacokinetics and may cause adverse effects if the medication is not intended for intravenous use. Therefore, the appropriate answer to the student's question is option 2) Withdraw the needle and start again with a new needle and syringe.