Abstract
Objective: To study the type of injected agents, clinical features and outcome of conservative treatment of patients with sciatic nerve injury following gluteal intramuscular injection.
Methods: A prospective study of patients with sciatic nerve injury following gluteal intramuscular injection from private neurological clinic and neurophysiology unit in Ibn Sena Teaching Hospital in Mosul between January 2008 and July 2010.
Results: The total number of the patients was 36. Male patients were 19 and females were 17. There were 28 patients under age of 5 years. Thirty four patients sustained their nerve injury by nurses, and antibiotics were the offending agents in 91.33% of patients. Foot drop is the commonest presenting clinical feature. Complete recovery was reported in 29.6% of the patients, partial recovery in 44.5% and no measurable clinical improvement in 25.5% of them.
Conclusion: Children are at higher risk of injury. The injection should be prescribed only when mandatory and administered by a well qualified and competent personnel.
Keywords: Intramuscular injection, sciatic nerve, sciatic nerve injury.
