Prilocaine versus lignocaine for minor lid procedures

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Anesthesiology
• Dermatology

Background:

• Local infiltration anesthesia is crucial for minor eyelid procedures.
• Lignocaine is a commonly used anesthetic, but patient comfort can vary.
• Assessing patient-reported outcomes is vital for optimizing anesthetic choices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the comfort of prilocaine versus lignocaine for local infiltration anesthesia during minor eyelid surgery.
• To evaluate patient-reported pain levels associated with each anesthetic agent.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, randomized study involving 125 patients undergoing minor eyelid procedures.
• Comparison of pain scores using a 0-10 visual analogue scale (VAS) between plain 2% prilocaine and plain 2% lignocaine groups.
• Statistical analysis using the Mann-Whitney U-test to determine significance.

Main Results:

• The mean pain score for prilocaine was 1.82, significantly lower than 3.19 for lignocaine (p < 0.001).
• Prilocaine demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in patient-reported discomfort.
• The Mann-Whitney U-test confirmed the significant difference in pain perception.

Conclusions:

• Prilocaine is a more comfortable local anesthetic agent than lignocaine for minor eyelid procedures.
• The findings suggest prilocaine may be a preferred option for enhancing patient comfort in this setting.
• Further research could explore optimal concentrations and adjuncts for even greater anesthetic efficacy.