AANEM Connect
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Ethyl Chloride spray and the needle exam
I have always tried to find ways to make the EMG/NCS test more comfortable for patients. Years ago, I saw an orthopedist using Ethyl Chloride spray before he would do his injections in the office. Ethyl chloride gives the skin a quick freeze, so it makes the needle injection more comfortable for the patient.
When I went into my own private practice, I started using it for the EMG needle exam. I spray it on the skin and then insert the EMG needle into the muscle. Patients seem to have much more comfort with the EMG test using the spray. I'm just curious if anyone else has used this technique or perhaps something else to make the needle exam more comfortable for patients.
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