At what angle should an intradermal injection be administered?

The appropriate angle for administering an intradermal injection is 15 degrees without aspiration. This angle is ideal for placing medication into the dermal layer of the skin, which is just beneath the epidermis. The goal of an intradermal injection is to create a small bleb or wheal under the skin surface, allowing for proper absorption and reaction to the injected substance, typically used for allergy testing or tuberculosis screening.

Administering the injection at this shallow angle minimizes the risk of penetrating too deeply into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle, which is not the target site for this type of injection. Additionally, avoiding aspiration when giving an intradermal injection is appropriate because the injection is given into the dermis where there are fewer blood vessels compared to deeper layers. Hence, the focus is on ensuring that the medication is deposited correctly in the dermis instead of worrying about blood return, as would be necessary for deeper injections.