Health
Injections sometimes unsuccessful in women
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Dec. 12, 2005
Women may not be getting the most out of vaccines and other injections delivered to the buttocks, according to a study presented on Nov. 28 at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago. And obesity is being blamed.
"We have identified a new problem related, in part, to the increasing amount of fat in patients' buttocks," said Dr. Victoria O. Chan, registrar in the clinical medicine department of the Adelaide and Meath Hospital in Dublin, Ireland.
Her study of 50 patients, both men and women, found that while 56% of the men were given injections successfully, the same was true for only 8% of the women. Women tend to have a higher amount of fat in the buttocks.
"The amount of fat tissue overlying the muscles exceeds the length of the needles commonly used for these injections," she said, proposing that longer needles be used.
The use of intramuscular injections has increased over the past 10 years, and new medications have been developed for delivery in the upper, outer quadrant of the buttock, said Dr. Chan.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/12/12/hlbf1212.htm.
