Injection sites utilized for DPT immunizations in infants

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the site utilized by nurses for administering Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Pertussis (DPT) injections to infants under 7 months of age. Twenty-six of the 28 agencies identified in a metropolitan area as administering DPT injections chose to participate in the study. Those individuals administering DPT injections in the agencies completed a questionnaire with a return rate of 69% (n = 55). Forty-four participants indicated that they used the anterolateral thigh, the recommended site, 100% of the time. The participants in the study administered a total of 1,453 DPT injections per month. Eighty-seven percent of those injections were administered in the anterolateral thigh, 3.6% were given in the deltoid, 5.1% were given in the dorsal gluteal, and 4% were given in the ventrogluteal. The estimated proportion of DPT injections administered at the correct site was 84.65% which is much lower than the critical value 94.06% for alpha = .05 (p less than .00001).