Intradermal injections are administered at which angle and produce what skin response?

• A. 30-45 degrees; no wheal
• B. 70-90 degrees; deep injection
• C. 45-60 degrees; shallow injection
• D. 15 degrees; wheal formation

Answer: (D)

Intradermal injections are placed just under the outermost skin layer, in the dermis. To stay in that superficial layer, use a very shallow angle—about 15 degrees. The small volume injected at this depth produces a localized reaction in the dermis, known as a wheal: a small, raised, pale bump with a surrounding red flare. If the needle is angled more steeply, the substance goes deeper into subcutaneous tissue or muscle and you won’t get the characteristic wheal. This shallow, wheal-forming response is why the correct choice is a 15-degree angle with wheal formation.