PubMed search: intramuscular injection and (aspirate OR aspiration) with results limited to the past 5 years. There were 32 results. You can review all 32 results here.

Here are several articles that discuss current recommendations regarding aspiration.

Aspirating during the intramuscular injection procedure: a systematic literature review.
Excerpt: “In the paediatric vaccination setting, the practice of aspirating during the administration of an intramuscular injection is unnecessary and there is no clinical reason to suggest that these principles may not be applied when using the deltoid, ventrogluteal and vastus lateralis sites in other settings. Owing to its proximity to the gluteal artery, aspiration when using the dorsogluteal site is recommended. Nurses must be supported in all settings, by clear guidance which rejects traditional practice and facilitates evidence-based practice.”

Rituals in nursing: intramuscular injections (Choose EBSCOhost option to access full-text)
Excerpt: “To consider to what extent intramuscular injection technique can be described to remain entrenched in ritualistic practice and how evidence-based practice should be considered and applied to the nursing practice of this essential skill. Background: The notion of rituals within nursing and the value or futile impact they afford to this essential nursing skill will be critically reviewed. Design: Discursive paper. Method Literature review from 2002-2013 to review the current position of intramuscular injection injections. Results: Within the literature review, it became clear that there are several actions within the administration of an intramuscular injection that could be perceived as ritualistic and require consideration for contemporary nursing practice. Conclusions: The essential nursing skill of intramuscular injection often appears to fit into the description of a ritualised practice. By providing evidence-based care, nurses will find themselves empowered to make informed decisions based on clinical need and using their clinical judgement. Relevance to clinical practice For key learning, it will outline with rationale how site selection, needle selection, insertion technique and aspiration can be cited as examples of routinised or ritualistic practice and why these should be rejected in favour of an evidence-based approach. The effect on some student nurses of experiencing differing practices between what is taught at university and what is often seen in clinical practice will also be discussed.”

To aspirate or not: an integrative review of the evidence
Excerpt: “IT ALL STARTED with this question from an ambulatory care nurse educator: “Do we still have to teach aspiration of blood when giving an I.M. or subcutaneous injection?” This question led to an informal query about the practice of aspirating for blood before injection to confirm that the needle hasn’t inadvertently entered a blood vessel.
We verbally polled about 40 nurses at departmental and one-on-one meetings, and found that about 50% of respondents supported the practice of aspirating for blood before injection. The final tally of responses found no correlation to their age, education, or other demographics. However, the responses did seem to illustrate that how nurses were taught to give injections during basic nursing education strongly influenced their views: those who’d been taught to aspirate supported the practice while those who weren’t taught to do so continued to omit this step.”

Blood Aspiration During IM Injection
Excerpt: “The World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer recommend aspiration during intramuscular (IM) injections. The purpose of this study was to investigate the technique registered nurses (RNs) use during IM injections and incidence of blood aspiration. This descriptive study surveyed 164 RNs. Results noted that 74% of the sample continue to aspirate at least 90% of the time. Of the participants who continue to aspirate, only 3% aspirate for the recommended 5 to 10 s. Forty percent reported having aspirated blood at least once, whereas 6 RNs (4%) noted blood aspiration ≥13 times. Blood aspiration occurred most frequently in the dorsal gluteal (15%) and deltoid (12%). Based on the findings, it is recommended that RNs use a decision-making process to select the safest technique for IM injections. If a parental medication has different administration rates, dose, viscosity, or other concerns when given IM versus intravenously (IV), aspiration during IM administration should be implemented.”