EFFECTIVENESS OF 50-PERCENT NITROUS OXIDE 50-PERCENT OXYGEN DURING LACERATION REPAIR IN CHILDREN/

Objective: To determine, the effect of an inhaled 50% nitrous oxide/50 % oxygen mixture on measures of observed anxiety in children during la ceration repair.Methods: A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled , double-blind comparison of an inhaled 50% nitrous oxide/50% oxygen m ixture (treatment group) with 100% oxygen (control group) during repai r of lacerations was performed, The study population was a convenience sample of children aged 2-7 years in an urban pediatric ED. The prima ry outcome variable was the change in scores before and during lacerat ion repair with a 10-point modified Children's Hospital of Eastern Ont ario Pain Scale (CHEOPS) assessment. The secondary outcome variable wa s a 4-point anxiety scale measured before and during the procedure. Re sults: Thirty patients were entered into the study, Seventeen children inhaled the 50% nitrous oxide/oxygen mixture and 13 inhaled 100% oxyg en during laceration repair, There was no statistically significant di fference in initial CHEOPS and anxiety scores between the 2 groups (p = 0.687 and 0.809, respectively). The median CHEOPS scores in the trea tment group decreased by 5 points, while those of the control patients increased by 3 (p < 0.001). The median anxiety scores in the treatmen t population decreased by 1 paint, with an increase of 1 for the contr ol patients (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Administration of a 50% nitrous o xide/50% oxygen mixture to children during their laceration repair res ulted in a significant decrease in measures of anxiety when compared w ith inhalation of 100% oxygen.