Injection Administration Features of the Patients who self-administer Subcutaneous Immunomodulator Injection and the Injection Site Reactions

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study aims at examining the injection administration features of the patients with multiple sclerosis who self-administer subcutaneous immunomodulator injection and the injection site reactions they experience.

METHODS: AA total of 50 patients who fit the inclusion criteria of the study and volunteered to participate were included in the sample. The data were collected by a questionnaire which was developed by the researchers and based on the literature. The data were analyzed by SPSS 15.0 statistical program pack. Means, standard deviations, frequencies and percentages were calculated following the descriptive statistics. Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyze the differences between some variables and the injection site reactions.

RESULTS: In our study, 74% of the patients have reported at least one injection site reaction. Pain and redness are among the most common injection site reactions and least developed reactions are abscess and lipoatrophy. No statistical difference was found between the development of the injection site reactions, and injection administration features, the type of the administered medications, the administration period of the medications, and the number of total injections (p˃0.05). A statistical significance was observed between the gender and the development of the injection site reactions (p˂0.05).

CONCLUSION: Injection administration features were not effective factors in terms of the injection site reactions. Injection site reactions were more common in women than in men.