Abstract
This study was conducted to investigate the principle of the Z - track method for intramuscular injection. We analyzed distance to move of the skin surface and subcutaneous tissue while applying the Z - track method at 30 sites in 15 healthy women. One of the skin areas surveyed was 5 cm from the acromion of the deltoideus muscle and the other was over the ventroglutear surface of the gluteus medius muscle. We marked the needle implant target position on the skin surface, and after the skin had been pulled using the Z - track method, we measured the distance that the marked point had moved. In addition, we measured the distance that the subcutaneous tissue had moved using echography. Wefound that the distance moved by the subcutaneous tissue was less than half that moved by the skin surface. We also found that it was difficult to move the subcutaneous tissue at the point 5 cm from the acromion of the deltoideus muscle, making it difficult to carry out intramuscular injection into the deltoideus by the Z - track method. On the other hand, at the gluteus medius, we were able to confirm the distance to move of the subcutaneous tissue over the muscle, sugesting that the principle of the Z - track method was valid in this area. These results suggest that when considering the Z - track method, the degree of encapsulation of the drug solution in muscle must be clarified.
