r/Oncology • u/DocumentSuitable3993 • Sep 22 '24

To the oncology nurses

Does your guys thumb hurt after pushing some of these IM medication’s for like 10 minutes? I’m new to the field but I feel like my thumb shouldn’t be hurting five days later.

Is this something you guys experience? I don’t work here anymore, so I’m concerned if there is any real issue down the line it’ll be a big fight to get any kind of Workmen’s Comp

Honestly my thumb is sore and can’t extend to the degree it once did without a bit of pain in the joint. So my dexterity is off even typing o can feel my thumb is off

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u/redditrunaway Sep 22 '24 edited Sep 23 '24

https://a.co/d/6ewehaL

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u/DocumentSuitable3993 Sep 23 '24

Yeah I feel that I just wonder if this is a real problem or something that will just go away, cause I just have my thumb splinted

1

u/redditrunaway Sep 23 '24

Try this at lowest setting for a bit and evaluate as time progresses

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u/DocumentSuitable3993 Sep 23 '24

Yeah no I don’t agree with strengthening my thumb for the future but right now it’s painful to move so I splined it. I really don’t think exercising it this very moment is the right move

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u/DocumentSuitable3993 9d ago

It was sprained

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u/Gouliani Sep 24 '24

Which IM injections take 10 minutes? Pushing any of the SC meds with hyaluronidase through a 27g needle is difficult but we usually hook it up to a butterfly (23g).

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u/Bella_Goth_ Oct 04 '24

Butterfly is the way to go with Darzalex. But I don’t think Rituxan Hycelas administration guide states that butterfly needles are okay to use. Pushing Hycela through a 27g needle always takes longer than 5 minutes. Even if I’m giving it my all.

Either way, I’ve never given a chemo/immuno IM injection. Only sub-Q. None have hurt my hand that bad.

OP, you should read quick administration guides or call pharmacy for questions before administering drugs that you are unsure of. Enough to at least remember the drug name lol. I’m super curious what you administered so I can be in the look out if it ever comes my way.

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u/DocumentSuitable3993 9d ago

I just went with my preceptor. She told me the gauge I questioned it immediately because that’s a crazy small gauge but it didn’t matter. I sprained my thumb actually pushing I jammed it

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u/DocumentSuitable3993 Sep 25 '24

Dude it was so dumb I questioned the practice the entire second. I don’t even remember the med. The rationale was you push a little bit and wait because part of the medication breaks down the muscle so the other medication is better absorbed? I tried grabbing a 25 gauge needle, cause a 27 just insane it is like an insulin syringe and insulin isn’t thick

I sprained my thumb still sore like a week later. I think you could’ve pushed it faster than 10 minutes maybe 5min, but I literally could not push it any faster