title: Lidocaine-prilocaine (EMLA(®) ) cream as analgesia in hysteroscopy practice: a prospective, randomized, non-blinded, controlled study.
abstract: We investigated the efficacy of 5% lidocaine 25 mg-prilocaine 25 mg/g cream (EMLA(®) ) applied to the uterine cervix for reducing pain during diagnostic or operative hysteroscopy, using a visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain in a prospective randomized, non-blinded, controlled study in 92 successive patients. Patients were randomized to either 3 mL of EMLA cream or 3 mL of ultrasound gel (placebo), placed endocervically and exocervically, 10 min before hysteroscopy. Intensity of pain was evaluated immediately after the procedure using a 10-cm VAS. No differences were found between the two groups (p = 0.07). The number of women who wished to stop the procedure was significantly lower in the EMLA group compared with the control group (p = 0.013). We concluded that topical instillation of EMLA does not decrease pain during hysteroscopy, but does reduce a desire to abandon the procedure.
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics and Gynecology Service, Health Consortium of Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain. barnau@cst.cat
authors.forename: Baldomero
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arnau
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jovell
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Redón
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Canals
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mir
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jiménez
mesh_terms: D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002584:Cervix Uteri; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015907:Hysteroscopy; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077442:Lidocaine, Prilocaine Drug Combination; D009824:Ointments / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010146:Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011318:Prilocaine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000077442:Lidocaine, Prilocaine Drug Combination; D009824:Ointments; D011318:Prilocaine; D008012:Lidocaine
keywords: Hysteroscopy; ambulatory surgical procedures; anesthetics; pain measurement; topical administration