title: A Needle-Free Injection System (INJEX™) with lidocaine for epidural needle insertion: A randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Local anesthetic infiltration is also a process of a painful process itself. INJEX™ technology, known as "Needle-free" drug delivery system, was designed for reducing the pain associated with cutaneous procedures. We conducted a prospective, randomized trial to evaluate the application of lidocaine with INJEX™ system and 27-gauge needle.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 60 consecutive patients were allocated to receive either INJEX group or 27-gauge needle group. Local anesthetic infiltration was applied two minutes before epidural needle insertion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean VAS, at the time of local anesthetic injection was 0 for group I and 2 for group II. When the effect of epidural needle insertion was compared, the mean VAS score was one versus two for Group-I versus Group-II, respectively. Lidocaine applied with the INJEX™ system before epidural needle insertion significantly reduced the intensity of pain during that procedure and was least effective the lidocaine applied with the 27-gauge needle and patients felt less pain during at the time of local anesthetic injection in Group-I.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Needle-free delivery of lidocaine is an effective, easy to-use and noninvasive method of providing local anesthesia for the epidural needle insertion.
authors.affiliation: Muhammet Gozdemir, MD. Associate Professor, Anesthesiologist, Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Turgut Ozal University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Muhammet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gozdemir
authors.affiliation: Ruveyda Irem Demircioglu, MD. Associate Professor, Anesthesiologist, Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Turgut Ozal University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ruveyda Irem
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Demircioglu
authors.affiliation: Safinaz Karabayirli, MD. Assistant Professor, Anesthesiologist, Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Turgut Ozal University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Safinaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karabayirli
authors.affiliation: Huseyin Sert, MD. Associate Professor, Anesthesiologist, Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Turgut Ozal University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sert
authors.affiliation: Bunyamin Muslu, MD. Associate Professor, Anesthesiologist, Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Turgut Ozal University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bunyamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Muslu
authors.affiliation: Burhanettin Usta, MD. Associate Professor, Anesthesiologist, Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Turgut Ozal University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Burhanettin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Usta
authors.affiliation: Dr. Ummugulsum Yazici, MD. Anesthesiologist, Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Turgut Ozal University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ummugulsum
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Yazici
keywords: Injection; Local Anesthetic delivery; Needle Free; Technology