FAQ
Buzzy is a completely new pain relief concept, both because it works in seconds and is over the counter -- a parent can bring it with them or use at home. For this reason, there are LOTS of questions about it. Here are some of our most often asked questions... other answers to less commonly asked questions are in drop down sections. For more answers, use the "search" function or check out our Forums. Scroll down or click for answers.
How do you use Buzzy for IV pain
How do you use Buzzy for shots
How do you use Buzzy for dentistry
Maintenence...
How do I clean Buzzy? (YouTube video instruction, may be blocked by firewalls) Can Buzzy be cleaned and reused on another patient? If so, what is the process for cleaning?
Cleaning Buzzy and the wings between patients is as easy as a saniwipe. The cost to most hospitals for LMX is about $6/patient, not including nursing time. You're right, at that price a patient would need 6 sticks to justify the Buzzy price. While individually giving them to kids who will need multiple blood draws or IV starts makes financial sense, it doesn't for the one time stick. If you want to use Buzzy for a patient with MRSA or other known infection, I'd put Buzzy with the ice pack completely in a StatLab bag. Otherwise, just clean Buzzy the way you would any blood pressure cuff or other item that's used on multiple patients over intact skin. We recommend saniwipes. The disposable White Ice Wings require you fill them with tap water and freeze, or you can clean the blue gel wings between patients and refreeze.
How long does Buzzy last? We guarantee Buzzy for one month's cosmetic beauty, and 1 year functioning. Barring crushing injuries from automobiles, you may need to change Buzzy's batteries but ours have lasted much longer. Seriously, we designed Buzzy to last through one child's entire immunization series. In our pediatric trial, it took a little less than 4 minutes per IV stick. At that amount, Buzzy's cost per IV stick given a duration of 20 hours on the original set of batteries = 9 cents per IV start. Add the disposable Ice Wings at a maximum of 25 cents, and the 0.34 is still the cheapest option around, even if you don't count discounts with bulk ice pack orders or using reusable Blue Gel wings. We just improved our latest Buzzy design to include more durable screws. Personally, I hate waste, so I made everything about Buzzy as durable and reusable as possible, but our guarantee on him is for the first set of batteries/one year, whichever comes first. Even at that price, he's very inexpensive.
How does Buzzy compare by price to topical anesthetics? The cost to most hospitals for LMX is about $6/patient, not including nursing time. At that price a patient would need 6 sticks to justify the Buzzy price. This comes to about $0.09/stick, or $0.39 with the disposable white wings. Giving Buzzy to kids who will need multiple blood draws or IV starts makes financial sense, but for the one time stick clean between patients. Some hospitals with chronic patients do give each child one, to avoid any infection control risk. We are pursuing a code which would allow for reimbursement by insurance.
Battery questions: how do you replace the battery? what size batteries does buzzy take?
To replace the batteries when they're getting wimpy, unscrew the three screws at the back. Two AAA batteries last with good strength for about 20 hours. Lithium ones make BUzzy lighter and may last longer.
Do I really need to use the ice pack?
Reusable blue gel wings
The cold adds about 60% of the pain relief in older children and adults. So, yes, use the ice pack unless it bothers the child (usually younger than 2 years) or there is a sensitivity to cold. The white wings have a soft side that children might like better than the shiny side or the blue wings.
Can I use disposable crushable ice packs?
No. They're too squishy, and absorb vibration without giving enough cold.
How long does it take for the ice packs to re-freeze?
The Blue Gel Wings will freeze solid in about 30 minutes in a good freezer. The white ice wings take about 1 hour.
How long do ice packs stay frozen?
The Blue Gel Wings stay frozen about 10 minutes in room air, the white ice wings stay frozen about 10-20 minutes. We find both melt after two immunizations, so we suggest changing out Wings after two shots. Both wings will stay frozen 3 hours when sandwiched inside the Cold-To-Go bag or flat freezer packs in an insulated bag.
Does the ice pack need to be frozen solid?
Yes. Otherwise, the squishy absorbs the vibration, and you lose out on descending inhibitory control.
While about 40% of the pain control comes from vibration, anyone over the age of two is missing out on descending control as well as extra gate theory pain control without ice. Scientists aren't sure whether the cold descending inhibition works with kids younger than two; we're studying it for shots with Buzzy now. Some people are sensitive to cold or find the vibration alone is enough, and that's fine. Give the kids a choice, "would you rather feel the poke or the really, really cold?" Most people will pick feeling the cold, and they will find better pain reduction with both. You’ll get gate theory control pain relief immediately, but the descending inhibition from freezing -cold gets more intense over 15 – 30 seconds. For people who don't mind cold, more is more: up to about 1 minute of numbing.
To quote Val Kilmer in one of the most rockin' geek movies of all time*, ICE IS NICE!!!
*Real Genius