Effectiveness of Z Track Technique Versus Standard Technique on Pain Perception During Intramuscular Injection among Patients Underwent Orthopaedic Surgery
Authors: Saji J. , Margaret Nisha C , Evency A. Reena 
Published: June 2024

Statement of the problem: The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the z-track technique versus the standard technique on pain perception during intramuscular injection among patients underwent orthopaedic surgery in a hospital.
Objectives of the study

To assess the impact of the z-track and standard techniques on post-intervention scores for pain perception during intramuscular injections among patients who have undergone orthopedic surgery.
To evaluate the effectiveness of the z-track technique in compared to the standard technique on post-intervention scores for pain perception during intramuscular injections among orthopaedic surgery patients.
To establish an association between selected demographic variables among orthopaedic surgery patients and their post-intervention scores for pain perception using the z-track technique during intramuscular injections.
To correlate the selected clinical variables among orthopaedic surgery patients with their post-intervention scores for pain perception using the z-track technique during intramuscular injections.
To explore the association between selected demographic variables among orthopaedic surgery patients and their post -intervention scores for pain perception using the standard technique during intramuscular injections.
To investigate the relationship between selected clinical variables among patients who underwent orthopaedic surgery patients and their post-intervention scores for pain perception using the standard technique during intramuscular injections.

Research design and method: The study utilizes a quantitative research approach and employs the conceptual framework of Bach’s prescriptive helping art of clinical nursing theory (1964). The research was conducted in an orthopaedic hospital, with 60 participants selected using a convenient sampling technique. These participants underwent both z-track and standard techniques for intramuscular injection, and their post-intervention pain perception scores were assessed over three days using a numerical rating scale in the mornings after the z-track technique and the evenings after the standard technique.
Result: Data analysis employs descriptive statistics, including measures such as the mean and standard deviation, along with inferential statistical tests such as the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and chi-square. The z-track and standard techniques post-intervention mean scores on pain perception among patients who underwent orthopedic    surgery are5.82 and 16.00, respectively. When comparing pain perception during intramuscular injection between these two techniques using Wilcoxson signed rank test values, it is found that on day1 = -6.791***, day 2 = -6.777, day 3 = -6.750*** with a total score of-6.745, which is significant at p≤ 0.05 and highly significant at p≤0.01 and p≤0.001. The results indicate that patients using the Z-track technique have lower pain perception scores compared to those using the standard technique over three days (p < 0 .001). This suggests that the effectiveness of the z-track technique contributes to reducing pain perception during intramuscular injections in orthopaedic surgery patients.
Conclusion: Considering the above result, the investigator concludes that the Z-track technique is more effective than the standard technique in reducing pain perception during intramuscular injections among patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery.