Journal of evidence-based medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Pragmatic Clinical Trial
Radial artery blood gas sampling: a randomized controlled trial of lidocaine local anesthesia.
Radial artery puncture is a common procedure and yet the role of local anesthesia for reducing the pain of this procedure continues to be debated. Clinical practice is variable and there is potential for substantial financial savings. This is the first randomized trial to investigate the effectiveness of subcutaneously injected lidocaine anesthesia on the perceived pain of radial artery puncture and the financial impact. ⋯ Local anesthesia did not reduce the perceived pain of radial artery puncture.