PATIENT INFORMATION FOR NON-SEDATED PROCEDURES
You have been scheduled for a short admission to the hospital for your procedure. This document provides important information to help you prepare for your admission.
BEFORE YOUR PROCEDURE
Your admission confirmation letter outlines any specific instructions you need to follow. These instructions have been determined by our clinical team.
Please complete the admission forms provided to you and return to the hospital prior to your admission.
INJECTION PROTOCOL
The main reason for the injection is to determine whether or not the pain is altered in the 6 hours after the injection. Therefore, it is important to having a scoring method to record pain levels. A common method is the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), which rates pain from 0 to 10. Zero being no pain and 10 being almost unattainable pain that prevents a person from thinking, moving, or functioning at all. No pain medication should be taken on the injection day to ensure a true measure of change is observed. Pain should measure at least 4/10 on the day of the injection.
THE DAY OF YOUR PROCEDURE
Please arrive promptly at your admission time.
DO NOT bring any valuables to the hospital
DO NOT wear jewellery, makeup, or nail polish.
Please shower on the morning of your procedure and wear clean, comfortable clothing that is easy to remove.
It is hospital policy that you do not drive after your procedure. You will need to provide the hospital staff with the contact details of the adult person responsible for escorting you home.
AFTER YOUR PROCEDURE
You will be taken to the recovery area where the hospital nurses will monitor your progress and check your procedure site.
If this is a diagnostic procedure, you will be provided with a Pain Chart (Operation Report). Recovery nurses will assist you with this form. Once completed and returned to us, we will contact you to discuss further treatment options.
If you experience a medical emergency, please dial triple zero for an ambulance, or process to your nearest emergency department.
LOCAL ANAESTHETICS
You may return to all your normal activities as soon as you wish unless instructed otherwise. You may experience some soreness once the local anaesthetic wears off. This is normal, but if the discomfort persists you can call the Metro Pain Group nurses on 03 8548 0339 or consult your GP.
LOCAL ANAESTHETICS
If your injection has included Cortisone, you may experience mild reactions like facial flushing or a feeling of feverishness. These can be relieved with a simple antihistamine available from your local pharmacy. Please note that Cortisone may cause changes to your blood sugar level.
MORE ON THE PAIN CHART
You should rate your pain between 0 and 10 before your injection, and after for 6 hours, firstly in 30 minute intervals and then hourly intervals. Ratings should be conducted in terms of movements and how you feel doing the things that most aggravate the pain.