title: The influence of injection speed on pain during injection of local anaesthetic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the influence of injection speed on pain during injection of local anaesthetics.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a blinded randomised study with 36 healthy volunteers, each volunteer received three injections of 4.5 ml lidocaine subcutaneously on the abdomen. The injections were given during 15 seconds (0.3 ml/s), 30 seconds (0.15 ml/s), and 45 seconds (0.1 ml/s). The needle tip remained beneath the skin for 45 seconds during all three injections. Participants rated the pain experienced on a 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS) immediately after each injection. After the last injection, they were asked which injections were the least and most painful.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean VAS pain score for the 15 seconds injections was 26 (SD = 19), for the 30 seconds injections 24 (SD = 19), and for the 45 seconds injections also 24 (SD = 18) (ns). Eight subjects preferred the 15 seconds injection, 15 preferred the 30 seconds injection, and 10 preferred the 45 seconds injection (ns).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is concluded that varying the injection speed between 0.3 ml/s and 0.1 ml/s has no influence on the pain experienced during subcutaneous injection of 4.5 ml lidocaine.
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine, NTNU , Trondheim , Norway.
authors.forename: Lena F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Tangen
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine, NTNU , Trondheim , Norway.
authors.forename: Janne S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lundbom
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine, NTNU , Trondheim , Norway.
authors.forename: Trine I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Skarsvåg
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine, NTNU , Trondheim , Norway.
authors.forename: Kathrine J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Wågø
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine, NTNU , Trondheim , Norway.
authors.forename: Solveig
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ballo
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine, NTNU , Trondheim , Norway.
authors.forename: Tonje
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hjelseng
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine, NTNU , Trondheim , Norway.|b Department of Orthopaedic Surgery , St. Olav's University Hospital , Trondheim , Norway.
authors.forename: Vilhjalmur
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Finsen
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000328:Adult; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013997:Time Factors; D064232:Visual Analog Scale; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D008012:Lidocaine
keywords: Lidocaine/administration & dosage; injections; pain