NITROUS-OXIDE FOR PROVIDING ANALGESIA DUR ING PAINFUL PROCEDURES REQUIRED FOR MANAGING PEDIATRIC MALIGNANCIES

Patient-controlled analgesia by inhalation of an equimolar mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen (N2O/O-2) was used during 200 painful procedu res (lumbar punctures and bone marrow aspirations) performed in a pedi atric oncohematology day hospital unit. Efficacy was self-evaluated us ing a visual analog scale, Mean pain score during lumbar punctures was 7.96 +/- 2.41 with conventional analgesic measures versus 1.49 +/- 2. 05 with N2O/O-2; a similar decrease from 7.44 +/- 2.78 to 1.86 +/- 2.2 7 was seen during bone marrow aspirations. Pain severity scores assign ed by health care providers were closely correlated with self-evaluati on scores, Acceptability was satisfactory, Adverse events were consist ently mild. However, physicians who use N2O/O-2 anesthesia should be f amiliar with the technique.