Pain Free Needle Pricks!

Yes, it has finally happened. The next time you or your kids need a shot, blood drawn or an I.V. there is now a numbing agent that will make you FEEL NO PAIN! The Zingo (which looks like a thick pen) uses helium to put lidocaine underneath the skin. Methodist Medical Center in Peoria now offers the Zingo to kids. Adults can also request it!

Here's the story:

Thirteen-year-old Jacob Stash knows what it's like to have his arm pricked by a large needle. Dad Robert Stash said,"He probably gets his blood drawn probably or something drawn every two weeks." Jacob has Vater's Syndrome. Some of his vertebrae are fused together, his internal organs didn't fully develop and he was born with one kidney. Robert said, "When they go to draw blood he's a little nervous, a little figgity."

But trips to the hospital have gotten a little easier for Jacob since his nurses started using the new Zingo. Jacob said, "It's pretty cool."The Zingo zaps a quarter size area of the skin instantly with the numbing agent-lidocaine-Jacob said,"It really doesn't feel that much at all. It's just you push it in and there's a big pop and then you're whole arm is almost numb."In the past, Jacob sometimes had the option of using a numbing cream-that took almost an hour to start working. And when he was admitted through the emergency room, he didn't have an hour to wait.

One nurse (Kellie) said "To be honest, the younger children, just pinning them down is traumatic. So you can only imagine the pain involved with placing their I.V. or drawing their labs. It's pretty hard for the child and for the parent to watch." The pediatric nurses and the patients are thrilled with how well the Zingo works. Another nurse (Corrie) said, "They flinch a little when you're holding them still, but they don't flinch at all when the needle goes in- so it's much easier." They hope the device makes a visit to the hospital a little more positive and not so scary.

The Zingo keeps the skin numb for about 10 minutes. There is no additional cost to use it.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.