ORL-head and neck nursing : official journal of the Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head-Neck Nurses
-
Case Reports Randomized Controlled Trial
Pain management prior to nasogastric tube placement: atomized lidocaine.
Nasogastric tube (NGT) insertion is often painful for patients of all ages. Randomized clinical trials in adult patients support the use of some form of topical lidocaine in reducing pain associated with NGT insertion. A review of pediatric evidence also confirms that NGT insertion is painful and provides guidance in determining lidocaine concentrations, dosages, and administration methods. ⋯ No patient safety or adverse drug reactions related to atomized lidocaine were identified post-implementation. Patients of all ages have benefited from administration of weight-based intranasal atomized lidocaine to decrease pain caused by NGT insertion. Ongoing safety evaluation and research is warranted since this is the first known report in the literature describing implementation of a weight-based dosing SOP.