Abstract
BACKGROUND: The injection of local anesthetic into the skin is often the only memorable event described by the patient after dermatologic procedures.
OBJECTIVE: The authors compared the pain felt during injection of local anesthetic using a minimal needle insertion technique with a 30- or 33-gauge needle.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred eighteen patients with tumors on the head and neck were injected with lidocaine using a previously described technique with either a 30- or 33-gauge needle. After injection, patients were surveyed using the visual assessment scale for pain.
RESULTS: Seventy-seven percent of patients felt no pain with injection on the face using a 33-gauge needle compared with 64% with a 30 gauge, whereas 94% of patients felt no pain on the scalp with a 33-gauge needle compared with 54% with a 30 gauge. Visual analog scale scores were also significantly decreased on the face and scalp using the smaller needle. There was no difference in pain between the 2 needles with injection on the neck.
CONCLUSION: This study further validates the use of this technique for the injection of lidocaine and the preference of a 33 gauge over a 30-gauge needle for the initial injection on the face and scalp.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 204-208 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Dermatologic surgery : official publication for American Society for Dermatologic Surgery [et al.] |
Volume | 44 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 1 2018 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Surgery
- Dermatology