A controlled study of low and high volume anesthetic jelly as a lubricant and pain reliever during cystoscopy

To evaluate the influence of the volume of 2% lidocaine jelly as an anesthetic during cystoscopy 241 men and women received either 11 or 20 ml. jelly intraurethrally in a randomized, double-blind fashion. Pain was recorded on a visual analogue scale by the patient and on a 3-level scale by the physician. The pain scores according to the visual analogue scale were significantly higher in the patients given 11 ml. jelly than in those given 20 ml. when all patients in the study were analyzed. There was no significant difference in the visual analogue scale between the 2 treatments in women but a significant difference was noted in men, although in men older than 55 years the difference was not statistically significant. There was general agreement between the visual analogue scale results and the physician scores but the visual analogue scale procedure was more sensitive in detecting differences between treatments. It is suggested that approximately 11 ml. 2% lidocaine jelly is the appropriate volume for women and 20 ml. is the appropriate volume for men during cystoscopy but that the lower volume of jelly may be sufficient in older men.