Increasing J-Tip Utilization for IV Placement-Related Pain Management in the ED: A Quality Improvement Project

Venipuncture, including peripheral intravenous catheter (IV) placement, is the leading cause of procedural pain in pediatric hospitals and emergency departments (EDs). Needle-free Jet Injection of Lidocaine Device (NJILD; J-Tip) has been demonstrated to be superior to other topical anesthetics in controlling IV-related pain. The rapid action and cost-effectiveness make it suitable for ED use. However, J-Tip was used with only 11% of IV placements at our ED. Our objectives were to: 1) use a quality improvement (QI) intervention to increase J-Tip utilization to 50% of IV placements within 12 months, and 2) assess if J-Tip use was associated with decreased IV success rates.