title: Comparison of local anesthesia techniques during transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effectiveness of periprostatic nerve blockade versus intrarectal lidocaine during transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective randomized study was performed on 150 men requiring biopsy of the prostate. Patients were assigned to three groups: group 1 received no anesthetic, group 2 received 10 mL of 2% lidocaine gel intrarectally, and group 3 received a periprostatic injection of 5 mL of 1% lidocaine solution before undergoing prostate biopsy. Patients were asked to respond to a preprocedural and postprocedural questionnaire that consisted of four questions designed to evaluate pain perception and pain experienced, respectively, during the entire procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean pain scores, comparing responses from groups 2 (topical lidocaine) and 3 (periprostatic) individually with those from group 1 (control), were not statistically different for any of the preprocedural questions. The postprocedural pain scores were significantly lower in groups 2 and 3 compared with those from group 1 (control) for overall procedure impression (3.1 +/- 1.7 and 2.6 +/- 1.8 versus 3.8 +/- 1.8, respectively; P <0.05 for both). The postprocedural scores for probe insertion were significantly lower for the topical group than for the control group (2.2 +/- 1.7 versus 3.7 +/- 2.1, P <0.05) but not for the periprostatic group compared with the control group (3.0 +/- 1.9, P = 0.14). The biopsy postprocedural scores were significantly lower for the periprostatic group than for the control group (2.8 +/- 1.9 versus 4.3 +/- 1.7, P <0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data confirm that both techniques of local anesthesia are effective in reducing patient discomfort; however, periprostatic nerve blockade using injectable lidocaine appears to be more specific in reducing pain during the biopsy portion of the procedure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Michigan State University-College of Osteopathic Medicine Urologic Consortium, Metropolitan Hospital of Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546, USA.
authors.forename: Brian N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Stirling
authors.forename: Kenneth F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Shockley
authors.forename: George G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Carothers
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Maatman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000379:methods*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011467:Prostate / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D012007:Rectum; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D008012:Lidocaine