Published on: 07/30/2009
MIAMI – It sounds like something out of a Star Trek movie. A pain reliever is injected into a patient without the use of a needle. Thanks to new technology employed at Miami Children’s Hospital, children who require an intravenous (IV) line are experiencing less pain.
The J-TIP Needle-Free Injection System may look like a typical syringe, but works very differently. J-TIP pressurizes medication through the skin and into the subcutaneous space, using CO2 gas pressure. The numbing medicine is applied to the patient’s skin to make insertion of the IV needle much less painful.
“Having an IV line inserted can be an uncomfortable experience for adults. Just imagine how scary it can be for children,” said Dr. Rafael E. Gonzalez, Director of the Pain Management Program at Miami Children’s. “Once a child experiences having an IV inserted after using J-TIP, they are no longer afraid of needles because they know they won’t feel the sting."
Miami Children’s Hospital is the first pediatric hospital in the state to employ this new technology.
About JTIP
J-Tip Needle-Free Injection System was developed and is produced by National Medical Products, Inc. (N.M.P., Inc.) a wholly owned, privately held corporation founded in 1989.
About Miami Children’s Hospital
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Miami Children's Hospital® is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with more than 650 attending physicians and over 130 pediatric sub-specialists. The 289-bed hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with several specialty programs ranked among the best in the nation in 2008 and 2009 by U.S.News & World Report. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional honor.