Painless Injections

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Oct 16, 2007

joanne helfer said:

I have been an RN for 27yrs.,most of it has been in er. I was shown a technique about 2o yrse ago,that really works consistently. Patients are amazed that the needle does not hurt. I make a wide v with my thumb and the rest of my hand. I count to 3 and simultaneously inject the needle at the same time I slap the muscle. I give the injection between the wide space of my other hand. It is important to slap the muscle the same time the needle is inserted. Also do the same thing on removal. Count to 3 to help you do it spontaneously. Has anyone ever used this or heard it? Let me know. Thanks

There is also a problem with this. Im a male nurse and by slapping some cute young girls posterior muscle might get taken the wrong way. So not a chance. Besides your supposed to feel shots. Thats why we call them shots.

RN2Bn2006 · Oct 16, 2007

OK, call me dense, but how do you - "Make a wide V with thumb and rest of hand. Count to 3 and simultaneously inject the needle at the same time slap the muscle." It sound's like that would take 3 hands! ! ! ! One hand to make the V; one hand to slap the muscle; and one hand to inject??!!??
Can anybody help me out and explain this?

LOL! I am soo glad you posted this, because I was thinking the EXACT same thing as I was visualizing the process!!!:rotfl:

ERRNTraveler, RN · Oct 18, 2007

There is also a problem with this. Im a male nurse and by slapping some cute young girls posterior muscle might get taken the wrong way. So not a chance. Besides your supposed to feel shots. Thats why we call them shots.

You know, I thought the same thing when I first read this- YOU SPANK YOUR PATIENTS BEFORE GIVING THEM A SHOT??????? haha!!!

mmutk, BSN, RN, EMT-I · Oct 26, 2007

I work in dialysis where its common practice to inject a small amount of xylocaine just under the skin at the place where 15g. needles will subsequently be placed for treatment. The trade-off for not feeling the larger gauge needles is to have to experience the "sting" of the xylocaine. I find that using the index finger of my non-dominant hand to scratch an area (as though for an itch) of skin proximal to the injection site works like a charm as a pain reliever. And I don't know why...diversion, maybe? A spray of ethyl chloride can be helpful sometimes, too, though expensive.

Our so you're that nurse....

All my ER patients... "But usually they inject me with some numbing medicine before they give me shots or start my i.v.!"

Sorry sir we don't do that here in the ER

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Oct 26, 2007

Our so you're that nurse....
All my ER patients... "But usually they inject me with some numbing medicine before they give me shots or start my i.v.!"
Sorry sir we don't do that here in the ER

Cant you imagine spraying someones rear with Ethyl Chloride just before a shot. They will jump more from the cold.

I use lido plain for IV starts, they jump less when I come at them with a 14g or a 16 g

I just dearly love big IV needles, on other people anyway

33-weeker · Oct 28, 2007

Lidocaine burns because it is made acidic to increase shelf life. Some places that use it often enough to make this cost effective buffer their lidocaine with sodium bicarb. This way is doesn't burn when it goes in. I learned about this at a neonatal conference I went to years ago. I don't remember the exact recipe.

The one time a nurse talked me into letting her numb before starting the IV I felt the burn of the lidocaine then I felt the IV, too. OUCH I should have stuck to my guns and refused the numbing. IVs hurt, but not that bad.

jayne109, RN · Oct 28, 2007

Lidocaine burns because it is made acidic to increase shelf life. Some places that use it often enough to make this cost effective buffer their lidocaine with sodium bicarb. This way is doesn't burn when it goes in. I learned about this at a neonatal conference I went to years ago. I don't remember the exact recipe.
The one time a nurse talked me into letting her numb before starting the IV I felt the burn of the lidocaine then I felt the IV, too. OUCH I should have stuck to my guns and refused the numbing. IVs hurt, but not that bad.

I went to a pediatric conference this last year and the recipe they taught us is 0.9 ml lidocaine and 0.1 ml sodium bicarb. Inject this subcutaneously around the vein instead of a skin wheal and use a 30 guage needle and nobody feels it. I have had great success with this. We got to try it on each other so I know it doesn't hurt at all. Hope it helps.

ETA: I only use about 0.1-0.2 ml and I always make sure it is okay with my doc!