A medical assistant is instructed to give an intramuscular injection in the upper outer quadrant of the buttocks. Which anatomical landmark helps ensure injection into the correct location to avoid the sciatic nerve?
Deltoid muscle
Gluteus maximus muscle
Ventrogluteal site
Vastus lateralis muscle
The ventrogluteal site is used to avoid the sciatic nerve when giving an intramuscular injection in the upper outer quadrant of the buttocks. It is bounded by the anterior superior iliac spine, the iliac crest, and the greater trochanter of the femur. This landmark is recommended because of its distance from major nerves and blood vessels. The deltoid muscle is located in the shoulder and would not be the correct site for this injection. The gluteus maximus muscle encompasses the entire buttocks area, and using it as a landmark is not specific enough to avoid the sciatic nerve. The vastus lateralis is found on the side of the thigh and is also not relevant for an injection in the buttocks.
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