Painless intravenous catheterization by intradermal jet injection of lidocaine: a randomized trial

This is a critical abstract of an economic evaluation that meets the criteria for inclusion on NHS EED. Each abstract contains a brief summary of the methods, the results and conclusions followed by a detailed critical assessment on the reliability of the study and the conclusions drawn. The authors concluded that the jet injectors had exceeded the expectations of their a priori hypothesis, being associated not with a simple reduction in pain, but with the virtual elimination of pain in anaesthesia delivery and intravenous catheter insertion. They also eliminated the risk of needle stick injuries and risk of infections. Furthermore jet injection systems have several cost advantages over conventional needle/syringe, as they do not require sterilisation, require less safety equipment, and require less preparation time (virtually none at all in the case of the MedEJet). The authors also concluded that using a jet injector also reduced the costs of catheter insertion.