• S van Laborde, Jeffrey S Dover, Megan Moore, Brigitte Stewart, Kenneth A Arndt, and Murad Alam.
• SkinCare Physicians of Chestnut Hill, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
• J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 2003 Jun 1; 48 (6): 875-7.

BackgroundInjection with botulinum A exotoxin reconstituted with preserved saline has been shown to be less uncomfortable than injection with the same toxin reconstituted with preservative-free saline.ObjectiveWe sought to determine whether injection with botulinum toxin type B is similarly less painful when preservative-containing saline is used to further dilute the product.MethodsWe conducted a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. A total of 15 consecutive adult patients presenting for treatment of upper face dynamic lines received treatment to one side (left or right) of the face with toxin type B further diluted with preservative-containing saline, and to the other side with toxin type B further diluted with preservative-free saline.ResultsOf 15 patients, 13 (87%) reported less pain in the halves of their faces treated with the preservative-containing saline (P =.0006). Pain on the preservative-containing side was on average 32% less among patients as a whole, and 39% less among patients noting some reduction. The 95% confidence interval for pain reduction associated with preservative-containing injection was -46.9% to -16.1%. Neither investigators nor patients observed any difference in clinical efficacy between the 2 treatment sides.ConclusionsUse of preservative-containing saline to further dilute botulinum toxin type B can significantly decrease patient discomfort on injection.

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