ANALGESIA FOR VENOUS CANNULATION - A COMPARISON OF EMLA (5-MINUTES APPLICATION), LIGNOCAINE, ETHYL CHLORIDE, AND NOTHING

Three commonly available local anaesthetics were compared, in a contro lled trial, for use before venous cannulation. The pain of application of the local anaesthetic, the pain of cannulation, and the rate of su ccessful cannulations were compared. The value of EMLA cream applied f or 5 min was questioned. Venous cannulation with a 20G venflon was fou nd to be significantly more painful than the application of any of the , local anaesthetics (P<0.01). Lignocaine 1%, injected subcutaneously, and ethyl chloride spray significantly reduced the pain of venous can nulation (P<0.01). The use of lignocaine did not result in significant ly more failed cannulations than the control group. It was concluded t hat local anaesthesia should be used before venous cannulation, even f or 20G cannulae.