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Effectiveness of lidocaine lubricant for discomfort during pediatric urethral catheterization
Lisa L Gerard1, Christopher S Cooper, Kathy S Duethman
1Department of Pediatrics, Univeristy of Iowa, Iowa City, 52242-1089, USA.
Insights
Lidocaine lubricant significantly reduces pain and distress during pediatric catheterization. This simple intervention is recommended for children undergoing urethral catheterization to improve their experience.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Urology
- Pain Management
- Medical Procedures
Background:
- Urinary tract infections and vesicoureteral reflux frequently necessitate catheterization in children.
- Catheterization is often a painful procedure, potentially impacting patient care and compliance.
- Effective pain management strategies are crucial for pediatric procedural interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of urethral lubricant containing lidocaine in minimizing pain and distress during pediatric catheterization.
- To assess the impact of lidocaine lubricant on patient comfort during urethral catheterization.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted.
- Twenty children undergoing urethral catheterization received lubricant with or without lidocaine.
- Pain and distress were objectively measured using validated scales, alongside pre-procedure anxiety assessment.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in age, prior catheterizations, or pre-procedure anxiety were observed between groups.
- Children receiving lidocaine lubricant reported significantly lower pain scores (p=0.001).
- Lidocaine lubricant also led to significantly reduced distress levels during catheterization (p=0.007).
Conclusions:
- Urethral lubricant containing lidocaine is an effective method for reducing pain during pediatric catheterization.
- The use of lidocaine lubricant is recommended to improve the experience of children undergoing urethral catheterization.
- This intervention offers a safe and effective approach to pediatric procedural pain management.
Purpose:
Many children with urinary tract infections and vesicoureteral reflux require catheterization. Catheterization can be a painful experience, and a desire to avoid this experience may affect patient care. We evaluated the effectiveness of lubricant containing lidocaine for minimizing patient pain and distress during catheterization.
Materials And Methods:
We conducted a prospective, double-blind, placebo controlled trial. Twenty children (16 girls and 4 boys, mean age 7.7 years) had urethral lubricant with or without lidocaine placed within 10 minutes before urethral catheterization. In all children pre-procedure anxiety, and pain and distress during catheterization were recorded. Pre-procedure anxiety was measured using a visual analog scale, pain was measured with the Oucher Pain Scale and distress was recorded by 2 independent observers with a simple 7-point Likert-type scale.
Results:
There were no significant group differences for age, number of previous catheterizations or pre-procedure anxiety. The group receiving lubricant with lidocaine had significantly lower pain (21 +/- 19.69 versus 65.5 +/- 26.29) and distress (2.65 +/- 1.97 versus 4.7 +/- 2.07) (p = 0.001 and 0.007, respectively).
Conclusions:
The use of lubricant with lidocaine significantly decreases pain with pediatric urethral catheterization and is recommended with pediatric catheterizations.
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