Adverse effects of dorsogluteal intramuscular injection versus ventrogluteal intramuscular injection: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

A total of 1386 participants from 17 studies were included. The meta-analysis found that ventrogluteal injection site had significant relation to lower pain in 9 studies (SMD = -0.63, 95% CI = -0.87, -0.39), bleeding in 4 studies (SMD = -3.46, 95% CI = -6.07, -0.86) and hematoma in two studies; after 48 h (SMD = -0.25, 95% CI = -0.39, -0.11), and after 72 h (SMD = -0.16, 95% CI = -0.26, -0.06), if it was compared with dorsogluteal site injection. No differences were found when comparing the possibility of intramuscular injections given into de subcutaneous tissue. In three studies, ventrogluteal site did not significantly reduce the risk of subcutaneous injection (OR 0.62, 95% CI = 0.16, -2.41).