Pediatric emergency care
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Pediatric emergency care · Feb 2018
Randomized Controlled TrialDoes the Application of Heat Gel Pack After Eutectic Mixture of Local Anesthetic Cream Improve Venipuncture or Intravenous Cannulation Success Rate in Children? A Randomized Control Trial.
Needle-related procedures are the most common sources of pain for children in the hospital setting. The most used topical anesthetic, eutectic mixture of local anesthetic (EMLA) cream, may cause transient vasoconstriction. It has been postulated that this vasoconstriction may decrease vein visualization. The application of heat gel pack after removal of EMLA cream in the site of venipuncture counteracts the vasoconstriction, improving vein visualization. We assessed using a prospective randomized controlled trial whether the application of heat gel pack increases the needle procedure success rate. The primary study outcome was procedural success rate at the first attempt. ⋯ This study shows that the application of heat gel pack after removal of EMLA cream does not improve venipuncture or intravenous cannulation success rate.