A comparison of dorsogluteal and ventrogluteal sites regarding patients' levels of pain intensity and satisfaction following intramuscular injection

ABSTRACT Aim: The aim of the study was to compare dorsogluteal and ventrogluteal sites regarding patients' levels of pain intensity and satisfaction following intramuscular injection. Material and Method: The sample of the study consisted of 60 patients who came to the Manisa City Hospital outpatients' injection department for IM injections of 2*1 gr doses of antibiotic groups with cephalosporin as the active ingredient. The research was conducted as a semi-experimental study with a single group. Findings: Mean pain intensity scores for the DG site were avg±sd=4.61±1.65, and3.25±1.51 for the VG site. No significant difference was found between mean pain intensity at the VG site and the DG site (t=5.900, p=0.000). No patients chose the response 'very good' for satisfaction level at the DG site, while 21.7% of patients chose that response for the VG site. No significant difference was found between the satisfaction levels (x2=12.551, p= 0.051). Conclusions: Less pain was felt at the VG site than at the DG site. Levels of satisfaction with the VG site were higher than with the DG site. Keywords: Ventrogluteal site, dorsogluteal site, pain intensity, satisfaction level