Who numbs for needlesticks?

ErNrsLynzzie · Mar 20, 2009, 11:50 PM

Re: Who numbs for needlesticks?

Currently we have only Painease available without order. Unfortunately, being in an ER, we have to prep for blood cultures on almost every patient and according to our policy, we don't use Painease with blood cultures. And frankly, having practiced with it - it stings and feels like horrible freezer burn. As a nurse, it makes my beautiful veins disappear very quickly.
LMX and Emla are available but only with physician order so we use it solely with port access or difficult patients like autistic children.
We utilize Child Life for non-pharm management and they are amazing.

melz34 · May 31, 2009, 11:55 AM

Re: Who numbs for needlesticks?

we use Emla or ametop

lpnstudentin2010 · Jun 01, 2009, 12:47 AM

Re: Who numbs for needlesticks?

where i am a patient. if you are on the floor and they need to put a new one in they do not use it, told they dont have time to use it on every single patient who needs a new one.

i have also had ivs in radiology and proop and if you request it they use it. it may be more rutiene on younger kids but at my age if you ask they will

swirlything · Jun 01, 2009, 07:31 AM

Re: Who numbs for needlesticks?

I've been wondering why we think it's not acceptable to allow children to go through this kind of pain but it is fine to allow adults to go through the same pain? Where else do we provide pain relief only based on age?

smanion · Jun 05, 2009, 02:35 PM

Re: Who numbs for needlesticks?

Personally, I think numbing the area before an injection is more of a "mental" thing for kids. It seems to me that the needle stick itself isnt what hurts, its the actual medicine going in and burning. I watch it on their faces everyday, they are fine until I push that medicine in. But Im just speaking toward giving injections, not IVs and ports and all that. I say, if it helps the kid to relax then rub some on there. As for the little ones I really dont see the use of it since the external numbing isnt going to help the burning. Just my thoughts on it.

xoemmylouox · Jun 05, 2009, 05:44 PM

Re: Who numbs for needlesticks?

In our office we use a "shot blocker". It is this little yellow flexible plastic thing that has little "poky" things on one side that distract and kinda even the pain when we do injections. It seems to help even if it is just a mental thing for the kids.

smanion · Jun 05, 2009, 05:47 PM

Re: Who numbs for needlesticks?

I have never heard of such a thing. I will have to check it out.
Personally I would just prefer to get it done and over with though. And, if I might add, Im pretty good so my kiddos dont cry for long

~

*AirforceRN* · Jun 05, 2009, 06:16 PM

Re: Who numbs for needlesticks?

Originally Posted by swirlything

I've been wondering why we think it's not acceptable to allow children to go through this kind of pain but it is fine to allow adults to go through the same pain? Where else do we provide pain relief only based on age?

I may get flamed for this but...
Really? Its just a needle stick! If it were up to me, there would be a lot more "suck it up"s being passed out. Sure, having a needle stuck into your arm for IV, blood draw or IM hurts....for about 5 seconds. The potential bruising etc is still going to be there after the emla wears off anyway.

As for kids...I'm pretty much of the same mind. Its going to hurt for a second then it will go away. Its not that big of a deal. The kids aren't going to be traumatized by a blood draw, they get worse at home when they stub their toes. Frankly, the "We're going to put this magic cream on you so the NEEDLE won't hurt...we'll be back in 30 minutes" will probably cause more anticipatory pain and suffering then the actual needle itself.
I'm all for pain control but I don't consider the pain from a needle stick worthy of pharmaceutical prophylaxis.

lpnstudentin2010 · Jun 06, 2009, 09:16 AM

Re: Who numbs for needlesticks?

Originally Posted by AirforceRN

I may get flamed for this but...
Really? Its just a needle stick! If it were up to me, there would be a lot more "suck it up"s being passed out. Sure, having a needle stuck into your arm for IV, blood draw or IM hurts....for about 5 seconds. The potential bruising etc is still going to be there after the emla wears off anyway.

As for kids...I'm pretty much of the same mind. Its going to hurt for a second then it will go away. Its not that big of a deal. The kids aren't going to be traumatized by a blood draw, they get worse at home when they stub their toes. Frankly, the "We're going to put this magic cream on you so the NEEDLE won't hurt...we'll be back in 30 minutes" will probably cause more anticipatory pain and suffering then the actual needle itself.
I'm all for pain control but I don't consider the pain from a needle stick worthy of pharmaceutical prophylaxis.

I must respectfully disagree. To this day (16 years later) I still remember one certian blood draw.Blood drawa, yes most of the time they will not tramatize a child. I had MANY MANY in my life and remember very few of them, about 5 in all, 1 VERY VIVIDALLY because the person doing it screwed up REALLY badly. It was a med student and she tried 3 times and was fishing around ON A 5 YEAR OLD. It was the first time she had done it she told my parents. After 3 times they demeanded she stop and get a nurse who had been doing it for 20 years come in and that lady got it first try. But the first doc I still remember it VERY VIVIDALLY to this day

swirlything · Jun 07, 2009, 05:49 PM

Re: Who numbs for needlesticks?

I was talking more of IV starts than injections. I have had a dozen surgeries myself, and I have worked extremely hard to overcome my fear of needles that resulted from the IV starts I had as a teenager in the hospital. I remember spending almost 2 hours in the treatment room while nurses fished around in my hands with a needle.

I've been in places where it was routine to use numbing agents on ALL IV starts, adults or children. I've had it done both ways, and I believe that numbing agents make a big difference. Call me a pansy if you want, but at this point, I would insist that the doctor write an order for a numbing agent to be used if I or my kids had to have an IV placed.

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Who numbs for needlesticks?

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