PROCEDURES: Most Children's Hospitals take about 6-9 months to introduce any new product system-wide.  As Buzzy is FDA class I ("Therapeutic Massager"), individuals can use Buzzy, but introducing Buzzy into patient care will be a hospital-by-hospital process.  In our experience, the committees that typically need to approve Buzzy are Medical Equipment, Education, Pain Team, Infection Control, or Quality.  Pharmacy may be involved as Buzzy might replace some of the products on formulary.  These committees usually need data (see below) and may benefit from seeing other medical environments commenting on Buzzy (see references, below), and finally collateral, such as in-hospital trial surveys or guidelines (see supplemental, below)

DATA: "A randomized clinical trial of a novel vibrating tourniquet to decrease pediatric venipuncture pain."  Conclusions:  (1) The combination of cold and vibration decreased venipuncture pain significantly more than standard care without compromising procedural success and, (2) Venipuncture success was 3 times more likely with the device (p=.040).  Click here for presentation of results.

Buzzy and distraction cards in 218 children aged 6 - 12 requiring phlebotomy also found significant reduction in pain, with pain of 4.46±2.9 with no intervention compared to 1.38±1.3 with Buzzy and 0.53±0.9 in the Buzzy and distraction cards group.

REFERENCES: "Buzzy exemplifies a combined approach".  Clay, RA Monitor of Psychology, March 2010;41(3):36

"Buzzy uses natural pain relief" Flarity K, Hoyt KS Advanced Emergency Nursing Journal:  October/December 2010; 32 (4): 360–372

SUPPLEMENTAL: Sample Guidelines are available for staff.  View Sample Clinical Guidelines Draft.

For a powerpoint education orientation used by a hospital, email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (file is 5.2M and not salesy). Children's Healthcare of Atlanta conducted a staff and parent survey and found Buzzy to be effective enough that they are launching system-wide.  Check out the parent and staff survey results - these are actual results from one of the first hospitals that adopted Buzzy system-wide for outpatient lab draws.

Training Videos are also available online - check out the full series at "Buzzy Instruction Videos" at the Hospitals tab.

Buzzy for heel sticks

Cleaning Buzzy

Buzzy's Disposable White Ice Wings

Buzzy's Reusable Blue Gel Wings

Cleaning can be done with Saniwipes.  Do not immerse. cleaning_question.doc