J Korean Acad Child Health Nurs.  2011 Oct;17(4):215-221.

Effects of Local Anesthetic Cream on Pain Relief in Newborns During Venipuncture

• Kim HW
• Ahn HY

Abstract

PURPOSE
Newborns routinely experience pain associated with invasive procedures such as blood sampling, venipuncture, heelstick, or venous cannulation. This study was done to provide data for a nursing intervention to alleviate newborn pain clinically by investigating the effect of local anesthetic cream during venipuncture.
METHODS
Participants were 70 newborns hospitalized in the nursery. Informed Consent was obtained from parents of the newborns. Venipuncture for regular blood sampling was carried out for a test on 2 groups; the experimental, placebo group. The neonatal infant pain scale (NIPS), and duration of crying were measured to assess pain reaction. All neonatal behaviors were recorded on videotape.
RESULTS
There were significant differences in pain behavior during venipuncture (t=-4.752, p<.001), immediately after sampling (t=-5.591, p<.001), 3 minutes after puncture (t=-2.469, p=.017), and in duration of crying (t=-3.005, p=.004).
CONCLUSION
Results show that local administration of EMLA cream before venipuncture causes a reduction in neonatal pain response, indicating that the EMLA cream has the effect of pain relief.

Keyword

Phlebotomy; Venipuncture; Neonate; Pain

MeSH Terms

Catheterization
Crying
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Informed Consent
Lidocaine
Nurseries
Parents
Phlebotomy
Prilocaine
Punctures
Child Health
Lidocaine
Prilocaine