• G N Russell, M J Desmond, and M A Fox.
• University Department of Anaesthesia, Royal Liverpool Hospital, England.
• J Cardiothorac Anesth. 1988 Jun 1;2(3):309-12.

AbstractA topical anesthetic emulsion consisting of a mixture of lidocaine and prilocaine (EMLA) was used in an attempt to reduce the pain associated with radial artery cannulation. Three groups were compared: (1) EMLA applied at least 90 minutes prior to cannulation (EMLA 90); (2) EMLA applied 60 minutes prior to cannulation (EMLA 60); and (3) lidocaine 2% infiltration performed immediately prior to the procedure (infiltration). Pain was registered using visual analog and verbal ranking scales by both the patient and an independent observer. The EMLA 90 group experienced significantly less pain (P < .001) than either the EMLA 60 or lidocaine infiltration groups. There was no statistically significant difference in pain scores between the EMLA 60 and infiltration groups. Local side-effects of EMLA were negligible.

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