Hitting bone/nerve with IM injection

Got the last of my 4 rabies vaccines last Saturday. The first 3 shots made my arm hurt the night I got them really bad but were fine the next day. This 4th shot has made my arm hurt TERRIBLY for the past week and has not gotten any better. (to the point it hurts to sleep on it and get dressed.)

My question is not asking for medical advice in anyway..I'm not worried about this from a medical standpoint. My question is have you ever hit a bone/nerve while giving an IM injection and if so, how did the patient react? My arm is super skinny and I'm always afraid someone will hit bone. As a nurse, I'm also always so scared to give IMs to skinny older patients.
I did once on an LOL. Scared me, but my pt didn't react at all.

Quote from 2011nursetobeGot the last of my 4 rabies vaccines last Saturday. The first 3 shots made my arm hurt the night I got them really bad but were fine the next day. This 4th shot has made my arm hurt TERRIBLY for the past week and has not gotten any better. (to the point it hurts to sleep on it and get dressed.) My question is not asking for medical advice in anyway..I'm not worried about this from a medical standpoint. My question is have you ever hit a bone/nerve while giving an IM injection and if so, how did the patient react? My arm is super skinny and I'm always afraid someone will hit bone. As a nurse, I'm also always so scared to give IMs to skinny older patients.

I've hit bone twice, in extremely emaciated patients despite my best efforts not to. Neither one of them seemed to be able to tell, but it freaked me out. Since Aurora said the same thing, now I wonder if the bone's that sensitive? I know when I've broken bones that as long as they were in place they didn't hurt if I wasn't putting pressure on the site (foot) or taking a deep breath (ribs).I've never done an I/O or had one; anyone did one and the pt react?

My sister who is extremely skinny (78lbs) had an IM once and she said it felt like a knife stabbed her arm and she was in tears within seconds. I assumed they hit her bone, but from what I'm hearing, most people don't flinch. Thats why I'm thinking maybe when it hurts like heck, its a nerve that has been hit, not a bone. I've heard I/O's hurt so they use lidocaine for conscious individuals. But this is going into the marrow, not just hitting the outside of the bone.

I've done it twice. The first time the patient winced and said "ouch"! The second time the patient didn't even seem to notice. Of course, I don't know how they felt the next day compared to my other patients. Did you get all the injections in the same arm?

I hit the bone on a tiny LOL while giving a flu shot...I reacted lol but the patient was looking away and didn't even notice!

When I helped give flu shots at the hospital where I was taking my clinicals in nursing school, I gave a shot to a classmate who was very skinny, and struck bone. I remembered my clinical instructor telling us that the patient wouldn't feel it if this happened, and to go ahead and give the shot. So I did. Not only did she not feel it, the next time I saw her in class, she told me she was the only one in her group that did not get a sore arm the day after shots were given. I'm not saying striking bone prevents soreness or advocating hitting bone. Just relating the experience I had.

with IOs it is the infusion of fluid/ medication that hurts. not the actual drilling part. that is why lidocaine is pushed prior to using the line in conscious patients. i have hit bone with IM injection before and my patient didnt notice. i think it is worse on the RN than the patient!

Quote from Ashley, PICU RNI've done it twice. The first time the patient winced and said "ouch"! The second time the patient didn't even seem to notice. Of course, I don't know how they felt the next day compared to my other patients. Did you get all the injections in the same arm?

I did it once... the patient didn't even notice. She was skinny, but I was giving a RHoGam, and those needs are so short. Oh well, haven't had it happen since!

I hit bone working at a flu vaccine clinic last week. The girl didn't even notice. Then another girl who shouldn't have felt it at all flinched, so I think I hit a nerve on her. My instructor was watching when I gave that one and said I did it perfectly so I don't think I could have screwed it up.

I have hit bone. It was terrible for me but the patients didn't seem to feel it at all.Please do see your doctor, for peace of mind and proper care. You should have an evaluation to rule out infection, nerve damage, etc. Do it, do it now.