Which term describes the act of slight withdrawal of the syringe plunger after needle placement?

Which term describes the act of slight withdrawal of the syringe plunger after needle placement?

• A. Negative pressure
• B. Vacuole
• C. Aspiration
• D. Injection

Answer: (C)

Aspiration is the act of slightly withdrawing the syringe plunger after the needle is placed. This creates a brief negative pressure in the syringe to check whether the needle tip is inside a blood vessel. If blood appears in the syringe, you’ve hit a vessel, so you reposition the needle before injecting to avoid intravascular administration. If no blood shows, you can proceed with the injection. This practice helps prevent unintended systemic effects from injecting directly into a vein. The other terms don’t describe this technique: negative pressure refers to the pressure change itself, not the name of the action; a vacuole is a cell structure; and injection is the act of delivering medication, not checking needle placement.

Aspiration is the act of slightly withdrawing the syringe plunger after the needle is placed. This creates a brief negative pressure in the syringe to check whether the needle tip is inside a blood vessel. If blood appears in the syringe, you’ve hit a vessel, so you reposition the needle before injecting to avoid intravascular administration. If no blood shows, you can proceed with the injection. This practice helps prevent unintended systemic effects from injecting directly into a vein. The other terms don’t describe this technique: negative pressure refers to the pressure change itself, not the name of the action; a vacuole is a cell structure; and injection is the act of delivering medication, not checking needle placement.