Which angle is used for subcutaneous injections?

• A. 45 degrees
• B. 25 degrees
• C. 10-15 degrees
• D. 90 degrees

Answer: (B)

Subcutaneous injections deliver medication into the fatty tissue just beneath the skin, so the needle should enter the fat layer without going into muscle or staying in the dermis. The typical angle used for most adults is about 45 degrees, often with a pinch of skin to help separate the tissue planes and keep the injection in the subcutaneous layer. If a patient has very little subcutaneous fat, a steeper angle closer to 90 degrees with a very short needle may be used to ensure the medicine reaches the fat rather than the muscle. Injections into the dermis use a shallow angle, about 10–15 degrees, and intramuscular injections are given at a perpendicular 90-degree angle to reach the muscle. An angle of 25 degrees is not the standard approach for subcutaneous injections.