Pain following controlled cutaneous insertion of needles with different diameters

Abstract

By decreasing the outer diameter of a needle, the frequency of insertion pain can be reduced and may encourage patients to adhere to demanding injection regimens such as recurrent insulin administration.

A Prefilled Insulin Pen with a Novel Injection Mechanism and a Lower Injection Force than Other Prefilled Insulin Pens

“…24 Thinner needles are generally preferred by patients as they are associated with less pain, bleeding, and bruising than thicker needles. [25][26][27] To overcome these two conflicting issues, therefore, needles such as NovoFine etw have thin-wall technology that allows a thin outer diameter while maintaining the inner diameter. Such thin-wall needles are preferred by patients.…”

Comparison of Usability and Patient Preference for Insulin Pen Needles Produced with Different Production Techniques: “Thin-Wall” Needles Compared to “Regular-Wall” Needles: An Open-Label Study

“…12,13 The finest most current 8-mm needles for insulin pens are 31 gauge, corresponding to an outer diameter of 0.25 mm. These 31-gauge pen needles allow safe and effective insulin administration.…”

Pen Needle Preference in a Population of Canadians with Diabetes: Results from a Recent Patient Survey

“…31 gauge). Previous studies have shown that a larger needle diameter is associated with a greater frequency of painful injections (9). Because all needle characteristics were the same in this study, it can be inferred that the differences in pain reported were associated with needle length.…”