Texas Medical Assistant Certification Practice Test

What angle should the needle be when giving an intramuscular injection?

1. 90 degrees

2. 45 degrees

3. 15 degrees

4. 30 degrees

The correct answer is: 90 degrees

When administering an intramuscular injection, the needle should be positioned at a 90-degree angle to the skin. This is because intramuscular injections are designed to deliver medication deep into the muscle tissue, allowing for faster absorption into the bloodstream. A 90-degree angle ensures that the needle penetrates the muscle adequately, minimizing the risk of the medication entering subcutaneous tissue, which could lead to slower absorption and reduced efficacy. In contrast, other angles such as 45 degrees, 15 degrees, or 30 degrees are more appropriate for subcutaneous injections, where the goal is to inject medication into the fat layer just beneath the skin rather than into the muscle itself.