Comparison of Distraction Methods for Pain Relief of Trigger Finger Injection

NYU Langone Health

Status and phase: Withdrawn; Phase 1

Conditions: Trigger Finger

Treatments: Procedure: No Site of Procedure; Drug: Ethyl chloride spray; Procedure: Pinching

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03445780

17-01275

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the best distraction mechanism during trigger finger injection in the outpatient setting. Temporary discomfort from the needle prick is highly feared by patients and is often accompanied by significant acute pain and distress during routine corticosteroid injection in the orthopedic outpatient setting. This study aims to examine 4 different distraction methods and their efficacy in reducing perceived pain, which will be evaluate using the VAS (visual analog pain score.) The three distraction methods will be ethyl chloride spray, adjacent pinch, ethyl chloride spray and pinch, and "screen" or looking away method.

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 99 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of Trigger Finger

Exclusion criteria

• Allergies to lidocaine, betamethasone, infection, pregnancy, 3 prior injection to the digit

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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0 participants in 4 patient groups

First Group

Experimental group

Description:

Skin cooling with ethyl chloride spray will be used for 5 seconds prior to injection

Treatment:

Drug: Ethyl chloride spray

Second Group

Experimental group

Description:

The skin between the distal palmar crease and the palmo-digital crease and the palmo-digital crease will be pinched for 5 seconds prior to injection

Treatment:

Procedure: Pinching

Third Group

Experimental group

Description:

Skin cooling with ethyl chloride spray will be used for 5 seconds prior to injection as well as a second pinch to the skin between the distal palmar crease and the palmo digital crease

Treatment:

Procedure: Pinching

Drug: Ethyl chloride spray

Fourth Group

Experimental group

Description:

Subjects will sit behind a screen with a small opening large enough to introduce the injection hand. They will not see any of the procedure.

Treatment:

Procedure: No Site of Procedure