Objectives
The purpose of this study was to determine whether a eutectic mixture of local anesthetics (
EMLA) cream reduce the
pain experienced by newborns and young
infants undergoing
suprapubic aspiration (SPA).
Methods
A single-center, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, prospective study including 52
infants 1 to 60 days of age undergoing SPA to obtain urine for culture. Twenty-four
infants were randomly assigned to receive 1-g
EMLA cream 1 hour before the procedure, whereas 28 were randomly assigned to receive placebo cream 1 hour before the planned procedure.
Pain symptoms were measured using the Premature Infant
Pain Profile (PIPP).
Results
The mean PIPP scores were significantly lower in the
EMLA group compared with the placebo group (8.90±3.04 vs. 10.46±2.29;
P=0.038). There were significantly fewer patients in the
EMLA group who were scored as having some degree of
pain (defined as PIPP score >6) in comparison with the placebo group (70% vs. 96%;
P=0.025).
Discussion
Newborns and
infants undergoing SPA experience
pain during the procedure. Application of
EMLA cream 1 hour before SPA is effective in reducing the
pain associated with SPA. In situations in which an SPA is not emergent, strong consideration should be given to the use of
EMLA.
