At what angle should you insert the needle for an intramuscular injection (IM)?

For an intramuscular injection, inserting the needle at a 90-degree angle is the standard practice. This angle ensures that the needle penetrates the muscle tissue directly, allowing for effective delivery of the vaccine or medication into the muscle. When the needle is inserted at 90 degrees, it reaches the muscle layer efficiently, and this helps achieve proper medication absorption, minimizing discomfort for the patient.

In contrast, angles such as 45 degrees or 75 degrees would not effectively deliver the injection into the muscle, increasing the risk of administering the medication into subcutaneous tissue, where absorption may be slower or less effective. Therefore, the correct angle for intramuscular injections is 90 degrees.