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Efficacy of parental application of eutectic mixture of local anesthetics for intravenous insertion
J L Koh1, D Fanurik, P D Stoner
1Department of Anesthesiology, Arkansas Children's Hospital, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202-3591, USA. kohjeffreyl@exchange.uams.edu
Insights
Parents applying eutectic mixture of local anesthetics (EMLA) before intravenous (IV) procedures effectively reduces children's pain and distress, similar to clinician application. This approach allows for convenient at-home application, potentially reducing anxiety for younger children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Anesthesiology
- Pain Management
- Medical Procedures
Background:
- Intravenous (IV) cannulation is a common and often painful procedure for children.
- Topical anesthetics like EMLA are used to reduce pain but require timely application.
- Parental involvement in healthcare can positively impact child experiences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of parent-applied EMLA versus clinician-applied EMLA in reducing IV insertion pain in children.
- To evaluate potential challenges and feasibility of parental EMLA application.
- To assess the impact on child and parent anxiety levels.
Main Methods:
- A randomized block design study involving 41 children aged 5-18 years.
- Children were assigned to either parent-applied or clinician-applied EMLA groups.
- Pain and distress ratings were primary outcomes; parent/child interviews assessed anxiety and coping.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in pain or distress ratings between parent-applied and clinician-applied EMLA groups.
- Parental ratings of child's prior coping difficulties correlated with distress levels.
- A trend suggested differing anxiety levels based on age and who applied the EMLA.
Conclusions:
- Parental application of EMLA is as effective as clinician application for reducing pain and distress during IV insertion.
- Home application of EMLA by parents offers a convenient option for outpatient procedures.
- Parental application may reduce anticipatory anxiety, particularly in younger children.
Objective:
To demonstrate that parent application of eutectic mixture of local anesthetics (EMLA) results in equal reduction of the pain of intravenous (IV) placement compared with clinician application of EMLA, and to assess potential difficulties with parental application.
Study Design:
A 2 x 2 randomized block design was used, with 41 children divided into two age groups (5-12 years vs 13-18 years) and randomized to one of two experimental groups (parent-applied EMLA vs clinician-applied EMLA).
Methods:
All children were scheduled to have outpatient gastrointestinal endoscopies with IV sedation. EMLA was placed at least 60 minutes before IV insertion either by the parent or a clinician, depending on the experimental group assignment. Outcome measures were child pain ratings and observed behavioral distress ratings. Parents and children were interviewed to determine parent and child anxiety levels in anticipation of the IV insertion, previous needle stick experience, and previous difficulty coping. Feasibility outcomes included technical difficulty with application of EMLA and appearance of the EMLA cream and occlusive covering.
Results:
Pain ratings and behavioral distress ratings in the low to moderate range for all groups and ws and were consistent w previous empiric reports of EMLA outcome. There were no significant differences in pain or distress ratings for either the age or the experimental groups. Parent ratings of their child's previous difficulty coping was related to the level of behavioral distress exhibited before (r =.50), during (r =.32) and after (r =.44) the IV insertion. In addition, children's anxiety ratings about IV insertion seemed to differ among groups (although not statistically significant for post hoc comparisons), with the most anxiety reported by the younger children when clinicians applied the EMLA and by older children when parents applied the EMLA.
Conclusion:
Parent application of EMLA appears to be as effective as clinician application in reducing children's pain and distress associated with IV insertion. Permitting parents to apply the EMLA at home can allow children who are having procedures on an outpatient basis to benefit from topical anesthesia without having to arrive early to the clinic or hospital. Additionally, application by parents may result in less anticipatory anxiety for younger children.
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