Loading...
Needle insertion can be one of the most painful and distressing procedures for a child and often leaves a traumatic, lasting impression. Topical anesthetic creams that are used to ameliorate the pain of a needlestick often are impractical in an emergency department because of the delay between application and analgesic effect. In a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, sham–placebo-controlled trial, researchers evaluated the efficacy and safety of a needle-free powder lidocaine delivery device in 597 hospitalized children (age range, 3–18 years) who were undergoing venipuncture or intravenous cannulation on the dorsal hand or antecubital fossa. The device manufacturer provided the devices and funded the research, and one author was an empl…