Complications can occur after an incorrect injection. The most difficult is the abscess. Learn about the causes and how to prevent it. If the injection was not done correctly, then complications after injectable steroids may well form. The most common of them are infiltrates, hematomas, abscesses.
Formation of injection complications
For example, we can take the mechanism of the formation of complications when taking an aqueous suspension. When the needle pierces the skin and fatty retina, it penetrates the muscle tissue. As a result, a channel of damaged tissue is formed, which contains a certain amount of an aqueous suspension or oil, depending on the type of injection. These substances do not contribute to blood clotting at all, as well as the healing of the canal. The body must react to this invasion and the steroid can quickly spread through the tissue, then there will be no problems. Of course, this applies to those cases when the infection did not get under the skin along with the needle.
If the needle penetrates shallowly under the skin, then edema is formed and this cannot be avoided. This edema may not be large, but it will still be. If a large vessel is damaged when the needle is inserted, then there is a high probability of hematoma formation. It should be noted that preparations dissolved in oil are safer in this regard, since they disperse much faster through muscle tissues, and the oil also prevents the development of bacteria. When it comes to using an aqueous suspension, the appearance of an infiltrate is a matter of time.
Infiltration is a small local compaction resulting from the accumulation of blood, tumor cells, etc. in the tissues
If you carefully read the instructions for any injectable drug, then everywhere this complication will be present as a side effect. The appearance of a sterile abscess is also possible. This complication occurs with frequent injections into the same place on the body, the body, reacting to an invasion from the outside, produces antibodies that settle on the walls of blood vessels. This leads to damage to the vessel, tissue ischemia and the subsequent development of necrosis, which leads to the appearance of a sterile abscess.
It should also be noted that particles of the suspension are able to clog the vessels under certain conditions, blocking the local blood flow. After that, the particles of the suspension are mixed with the protein compounds of the blood, and a jelly-like substance called the conjugate is formed. This leads to painful sensations at the injection site. The main problem here is that it is almost impossible to deal with this process at the level of the suspension itself. Consequently, complications after injectable steroids can appear only due to the use of an aqueous suspension and the presence of a number of factors.
Almost all suspensions include special additives, the task of which is to minimize tissue damage. To make the above more understandable, for example, when you did an injection of Winstrol, and the next day the second one, then the likelihood of abscess formation will be very high. This area is surrounded by infiltrates, and the local blood flow is already impaired.
Abscess after steroid injections
The most problematic of all complications after injectable steroids is an abscess. If it begins to develop close to the skin, then it can soon develop into an infectious form. There are certain factors due to which a sterile abscess can turn into an infectious one, for example, infection under the skin, inflammation of the hair follicles, etc.
Unlike infiltration, abscesses need to be treated as soon as possible. If this is not done on time, then it is quite possible that surgical intervention will be required. To avoid the appearance of complications after injectable steroids, especially abscesses, you must adhere to the following rules:
- Injections must be performed according to the rules;
- It is necessary to alternate the places where the injections are made;
- Always inject intramuscularly;
- Enter no more than 1 milliliter of the drug at a time.
You also need to know the first symptoms of the development of infiltration:
- Within 1 to 3 hours, pain appears at the injection site;
- The pain continues to intensify throughout the day and disappears after a few days;
- When the infiltration resolves, a new injection should be given in a new location.
Quite often, complications after injectable steroids occur when an infection gets under the skin. This can cause sepsis, and in the worst case, a bacterial abscess that develops over two to three days. To avoid this, you must adhere to simple rules:
- Long needles must be used;
- Change injection sites and inject no more than one milliliter of the drug at a time;
- If severe pain appears during the introduction of the needle, then you should take it out and inject it in a new place.
The main causes of infection under the skin are:
- Dirt on your hands;
- Unsealed or leaky bottle;
- Non-sterile syringe;
- The injection site has not been prepared.
It should be noted that in high-quality ampoules, the drug contains special substances intended for disinfection of the injection site. This makes it possible to almost completely exclude the possibility of developing a bacterial abscess. You should store unused steroids in accordance with the instructions, as well as follow the rules for the administration of drugs. If you follow all of the above tips and tricks, then complications after injectable steroids are practically excluded. If you are not sure that you can do the injection correctly, then you should entrust it to a specialist.
How to inject intramuscularly, learn from this video:
