Streptomycin sulfate is an anti-tuberculous agent, which can be injected intra
muscularly. With the increased frequency of its injection, the complication such as
pain, discomfort, and damage in nerves, vessels, and iocal tissues is on the rise. In
...
Streptomycin sulfate is an anti-tuberculous agent, which can be injected intra
muscularly. With the increased frequency of its injection, the complication such as
pain, discomfort, and damage in nerves, vessels, and iocal tissues is on the rise. In
particular, local tissue damage of injection site gives a discomfort continuously to
patients by fibrosis, necrosis, delayed healing of the tissue, and decreased absorption
of the drug. Eventually the recovery and healing process is delayed.
The purpose of this study is to compare tissue damage and pain between when
streptomycin is injected in normal saline and when injected in distilled water. Also,
correlations between damage and pain in terms of gender, age, walking amount, and
total body fat after injection have been explored. The subjects of this study were 13
patients who had been diagnosed of pulmonary tuberculosis and hospitalized at K
hospital in K wangju from Jan. 3 to Mar. 3, 1999. Streptomycin was injected once a
day on each gluteal area of the subjects alternately. After 12 injections tissue
damage and pain on the injected area with streptomycin dissolved in saline were
compared to those in distilled water as control. The degree of tissue damage and
pain after streptomycin injection were measured by needle EMG and self-reported
graphic rating scale.
The collected data were analysed by SPSS program. The differences of tissue
damage and pain between experimental group and control group were analysed by
non-parametric Wilcoxon signed rank test. And pain intensities were shown using
Box-Plot. Also, correlations between tissue damage and pain in terms of age, total
body fat, and walking amount after injection were analysed by Spearman‘s rho
correlation coefficient. The difference of tissue damage and pain according to gender
was analysed by non-parametric Wilcoxon rank sum test
The results of this study were summarized as follows;
1. Needle EMG showed that the muscle tissue of experimental group with normal
saline less damaged than that of control group with distilled water(Z=-3.464, p=
.001).
2. No significant difference was noted in the degree of pain between experimental
group and control group(Z=-.312, p=.755).
3. In the variables of age, total body fat, and walking amount after injection, the
tissue damage was correlated with age positively( γ =.516, p=.000).
4. In the variables of age, total body fat, and walking amount after injection, the
pain was correlated with walking amount in both groups(normal saline: r =-.328 ,
p=.003 ; distilled water : r =-.271 , p=.016).
5. No significant difference were noted in the degree of tissue damage (Z=-1.684,
p=.092) and pain (Z=- .416, p=.678) according to gender.
In conclusion, it is highly recommended that the use of normal saline as a
solvent for streptomycin injection to decrease damage of tissue and to promote
healing of tissue.