Letters to the Editor

Indian Pediatrics 2003; 40:1114-1115

Teaching Aid: Mock Doll Injection Model

To teach the nursing staffs the correct technique for intramuscular injection in the anterolateral aspect of thigh in children, commonly available "singing doll" is used as a teaching aid in our hospital (Fig. 1). The press button with its connection (Fig. 2) is moved out to the hole cut in the doll’s anterolateral thigh and fixed using an adhesive. A light and small (1 cm × 1cm) metal sheet is used to cover the press button in anterolateral thigh (Fig.3). Sticking pads of same thickness is applied around it, to make the surface even and the whole thing is covered with bandage. The nursing staffs are asked to use syringe and needle and give mock injection by pressing the needle on the anterolateral part of thigh. When given in the correct area, the light metal sheet is pressed and consequently the button is activated and the doll starts singing(Fig.4).

Fig. 1. Singing doll with press button and speaker.	Fig. 2. Press button and its connection in thigh.

Repeated exercises by using the syringe and needle on the baby doll’s thigh, made the nursing staffs to master correct technique and the angle of intramuscular injection.

Fig. 3. Metal sheet covering the press button.	Fig. 4. Injection activates the button and the song.

This inexpensive, easy to make model can be practiced in any nursing hospial to train the nursing staffs in giving the correct intramuscular injections.

R. Selvan,
Pediatrician,
Lotus Hospital,
Poondurai Road,
Erode 638 002, Tamilnadu,
India.