- It is immunization day at the health center. The first patient is a 2-month old well female infant who is scheduled for the following vaccinations: pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), pentavalent vaccine (Penta) and oral polio vaccine. PCV and Penta are given via intramuscular route. Where are the sites of injection? What muscle is targeted in the injection? Write down its origin, insertion and action. How do you locate this area?
In most cases, infants are administered with Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) and Pentavalent vaccine (Penta vaccine) on the anterolateral aspect of their thighs. This is because in comparison to the deltoid muscle (which is the usual site of injections), it provides a relatively larger muscle mass in the muscle composition of infants. In this aspect of the thigh, the targeted muscle is the vastus lateralis which is specifically located medially to both the knee and the superior portion of the femur. Their origins are the greater trochanter and linea aspera of the femur respectively. The insertion site is in the patella via the quadriceps tendon and the tibial tuberosity via patellar tendon and their nature of action is characterized by extending the leg at the knee joint and flexing the thighs at the hip joint as well.
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The baby’s 65-year-old grandfather also came to the center because influenza vaccine is being offered to senior citizens. The flu vaccine is given intramuscularly. Which muscle is the preferred site for IM injection in this case? Write down its origin, insertion and action. How do you locate this area?
In this case, a full-grown adult like the 65-year-old grandfather of the infant mentioned in the former situation can be administered with the influenza vaccine intramuscularly in his deltoid muscle. This muscle can be easily located as it is the large triangular muscle covering the shoulder joint, on top of the humerus, lateral to the clavicle, and anterior to the scapula. It originates from the acromial extremity of the clavicle, acromion of the scapula, and spine of the scapula. Its insertion is in the deltoid tuberosity of the humerus and its action includes the abduction of lateral fibers of the arm at the shoulder joints.