Interventional study to quickly get rid of skin pain and other symptoms after injections

Study.

The study was designed to investigate how the speed of injection affects the bruising and pain caused by injections of heparin.

The subject of the study was heparin injections. Heparin is a drug used to stop blood clotting and comes in two forms, unfractionated heparin (UFH) and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), with LMWH having a longer half-life and fewer side effects than UFH. Heparin injections are then injected just under the skin, where it penetrates the fatty layer under the skin and is slowly released into the body.

Bruises, which

A bruise is caused when a small blood vessel or capillary breaks, bleeding under the skin and leading to skin discoloration. If this bleeding worsens and blood accumulates at the site of injury, a swelling called a hematoma may result.

The researchers in the study found that

Five studies met the selection criteria and were reviewed. Five studies met the selection criteria and were reviewed, including studies conducted in Thailand, Turkey, Italy, and China, with a total of 503 participants. All study participants underwent LMWH, but none of the studies used UFH.

Participants were able to see the injection taking place and could tell if it was fast (10 seconds) or slow (30 seconds). It was found that there could be a slight reduction in pain after 48 hours of the slow injection compared to the fast injection. Similarly, the slower injections at 48 and 60 hours post-injection may result in smaller bruises and fewer bruises.

However, none of the included studies measured the number or size of hematomas.

Mohammady M, Radmehr M, Janani L. Slow and fast subcutaneous heparin injections to prevent bruising and site pain intensity. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2021, No. 6. Art. No.: CD008077. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD008077.pub6. Accessed June 9, 2021.