Which injection route commonly uses the vastus lateralis as a site?

Which injection route commonly uses the vastus lateralis as a site?

• A. Subcutaneous
• B. Intradermal
• C. Intramuscular
• D. Intravenous

Answer: (C)

The vastus lateralis is a large muscle on the outer thigh, so injections there are placed into muscle tissue to achieve rapid and reliable absorption. That makes the intramuscular route the appropriate choice. It’s particularly favored in infants and small children because the muscle is well-developed there and this site avoids some nerves and vessels found near other IM sites. In contrast, subcutaneous injections go into the fatty layer under the skin, intradermal injections are into the skin itself for testing, and intravenous injections go directly into a vein, not a muscle. So the route used with the vastus lateralis is intramuscular.

The vastus lateralis is a large muscle on the outer thigh, so injections there are placed into muscle tissue to achieve rapid and reliable absorption. That makes the intramuscular route the appropriate choice. It’s particularly favored in infants and small children because the muscle is well-developed there and this site avoids some nerves and vessels found near other IM sites. In contrast, subcutaneous injections go into the fatty layer under the skin, intradermal injections are into the skin itself for testing, and intravenous injections go directly into a vein, not a muscle. So the route used with the vastus lateralis is intramuscular.