Does local anesthesia at mid-trimester amniocentesis decrease pain experience? A randomized trial in 220 patients.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether local anesthesia decreases patients' pain experience during mid-trimester amniocentesis.


METHODS
In a randomized trial, one group did not receive local anesthesia while, in another group, lignocaine 1% was injected subcutaneously prior to amniocentesis. Five different scoring systems were used to evaluate patients' pain experience.


RESULTS
Two hundred and twenty women entered the study: 114 received local anesthesia, while 106 did not. The mean (SD) Visual Analog Scale was 1.4 (1.5) on a 0-10 scale (range 0-7.6). Some 97% of patients described the procedure as not painful or bearable, 79% had expected the procedure to be more painful and 59% reported the amniocentesis to have a comparable discomfort as venous blood sampling; 98% of women declared they would undergo an amniocentesis again if indicated. There were no statistical differences between both randomization groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Mid-trimester amniocentesis is not a painful procedure. Local anesthesia does not affect pain experience during amniocentesis.
Van Schoubroeck
D
D
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.
Verhaeghe
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000649:Amniocentesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011446:Prospective Studies
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D008012:Lidocaine