Multidermatomal Placement vs. Traditional Buzzy Placement
For years we said to place Buzzy "between the brain and the pain" opting to place Buzzy proximal along the same dermatome as the pain point. Recently, we heard from a pediatrician in Brazil that he places Buzzy in the crook of the shoulder, and that it dramatically further reduces pain from vaccinations.
We are currently investigating this new placement method. Anecdotally, our own CEO used the new placement technique during a November vaccination and found it to be far more effective than our classic placement method.
Based on our research, the study was conducted with injections in mind. Any kind of shot or injection whether SUBQ or IM that would be done in the shoulder area is prime for the new placement we recommend.
Note: In regards to IV access and blood draws, we tried a few modifications and it didn't seem to matter. The arm dermatomes are so straight, and the existing placement for IVs are already getting two (C5 and C6) when Buzzy is centered proximally, so it may be why Buzzy has in the past been better for IV than IM injections by about 15-20%. Hence, this new placement is recommended for deltoid injections only.