The subcutaneous administration of the
anticoagulant heparin sodium is a frequently performed nursing intervention. Bruising (discoloration) and induration (hardening) occur after some but not all such
injections. This has implications for nursing; not only does the patient experience the physical discomfort and the psychologic impact of visible body
trauma, but bruising and induration limit possible sites for future
injections. Administration technique is frequently cited as a possible cause of bruising and induration. The purpose of this study was to compare two administration techniques currently being used by nurses. Variables studied included syringe size, change of needles after drawing medication into the syringe, use of an air bubble, and type of sponge (dry or alcohol) applied to the site after injection. The sample included 50 medical-surgical patients aged 23 to 88 years. Each subject received two
injections by the same investigator using two different techniques. Sites were inspected and
bruises and induration measured 52 hours after each injection. To compare the size of
bruises and indurations, the data were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U-Wilcoxon rank sum test, which showed a 0.003 level of significance for
bruises and a 0.02 level of significance for induration. To compare the number of subjects in whom
bruises and indurations developed, the data were analyzed by the chi-square test, which showed a 0.0458 level of significance for induration but only a 0.1371 level of significance for bruising.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)