Patients' perceptions of pain with spinal, intramuscular, and venous infections

Most of 46 patients believed that spinal injection would be more painful th an intramuscular or intravenous injections. The reverse proved true: spinal infections were perceived to be less painful than the other two procedures . Intramuscular injections should be avoided. Local anaesthesia should be g iven for lumbar punctures and intravenous cannulation.