Comparison of the Efficacy of Shotblocker and Acupressure in Reducing Pain Due to Intramuscular Injection

Various non-pharmacological approaches are used in the relief of pain caused by intramuscular injection. Shotblocher and acupressure, which are among these methods, are easy to apply.More evidence-based studies are needed to fully understand the effectiveness of acupressure an d shotblocher in reducing pain associated with intramuscular injection.This study will be conducted to compare the effectiveness of shotblocker and acupressure in reducing pain associated with intramuscular injection in the emergency department.

Intramuscular injection is a nursing practice that is frequently used in clinical practice. If intramuscular injection is not performed with correct and appropriate methods, it can cause serious complications. These complications include pain, cellulitis, muscle fibrosis and contracture, sterile abscesses, tissue necrosis, granuloma, intravascular injection, hematoma, and nerve injuries. Although it has healing and therapeutic properties, intramuscular injection can cause pain and discomfort in the patient. Intramuscular injection pain develops due to the mechanical trauma caused by the needle entry and the sudden pressure created when the drug is injected into the muscle. Nurses play an active role in eliminating or reducing the pain that occurs in this process. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods are used to reduce pain associated with intramuscular injection. Topical anesthetics, one of the pharmacological methods, are limited in use in emergency services due to their slow analgesic effects, risk of systemic toxicity and local side effects. There are various non-pharmacological methods applied to control pain caused by injection. One of the non-pharmacological methods applied to reduce the pain experienced during intramuscular injection is Shotblocker application. It is reported that ShotBlocker reduces pain by temporarily blocking the peripheral nerve endings by preventing the perception of pain and its transmission to the central nervous system. Another method used to reduce pain due to injection is acupressure. Experimental and clinical evidence suggests that acupressure may relieve pain and promote relaxation. In addition, this non-invasive application involves minimal risk and can be easily integrated into the application. Acupressure points such as UB31, UB32, UB33 and UB34 are stated to be beneficial for low back pain, hernia, dysmenorrhea, dysuria, pain. Of these, UB32 and UB31 are clinically frequently used acupressure points. In this study, the UB32 acupressure point will be used to reduce the pain associated with multiple injections.