Percutaneous anaesthesia with a lidocaine-prilocaine cream (EMLA®) for cutting split-skin grafts

Summary Percutaneous anaesthesia induced by a lidocaine/prilocaine cream (EMLA®) applied to the donor area for 1 to 8 h enabled split-skin grafts to be harvested without supplementary analgesia in 72 out of 83 patients (87%). The pain during cutting of the graft was rated as either none or slight by 60 patients, as moderate by 16 and as severe by 6 of the patients. The results suggest that the best analgesic effect is obtained if the graft is cut within five hours of the cream being applied. No adverse influence on the viability of the graft or on the healing of the donor site was observed. Topical anaesthesia with EMLA cream is useful for harvesting split-skin grafts and is now used routinely at this clinic.     

Eutectic mixture of local anaesthetics (EMLA) 5% cream as a primary dressing on a painful lower leg ulcer

Patients living with chronic leg ulceration may frequently experience moderate to severe wound-related pain, which may not be alleviated by oral analgesics alone. Poorly controlled leg ulcer pain can prevent timely and effective wound management strategies being implemented, and increase wound healing times. Furthermore, patients with poorly controlled leg ulcer pain can experience continuous pain, which significantly affects quality of life. This case report introduces an innovative way of using the eutectic mixture of local anaesthetics (EMLA) 5% cream to reduce wound-related pain, reduce oral analgesic intake, and improve health-related quality of life for a patient with a painful, chronic lower leg ulcer.     

Split skin grafting using topical local anaesthesia (EMLA): a comparison with infiltrated anaesthesia

The analgesic efficacy of EMLA cream was compared with that produced by infiltration of lignocaine solution when used to provide anaesthesia for cutting of skin grafts. The study was performed as an open parallel group comparison in 80 patients. Pain felt during administration of the anaesthetic and during cutting of the graft was assessed using visual analogue and verbal rating scales. During graft cutting, the anaesthesia produced by EMLA was at least as effective as infiltration. On administration, infiltration produced varying amounts of pain in all patients, but in contrast EMLA produced no discomfort. In view of this lack of discomfort and the consequent greater freedom afforded regarding the area of donor site anaesthetised, EMLA can be considered the treatment of choice when skin grafts are harvested under local anaesthetic.     

Piroxicam gel, compared to EMLA cream is associated with less pain after venous cannulation in volunteers

PURPOSE: To evaluate and compare the analgesic efficacy and anti-inflammatory effects of topical piroxicam gel vs eutectic mixture of local anesthetic (EMLA) cream applied to the peripheral venous cannulation site in adult volunteers. METHODS: Piroxicam gel and EMLA cream were randomly applied on the dorsum of the right and left hand of ten volunteers who acted as their own control. A venous cannula was inserted (no iv infusion) and removed after one hour. Pain scores and signs of inflammation were noted at the cannulation site up to 48 hr. RESULTS: Pain scores with piroxicam gel were higher on cannulation and on advancement of the cannula (P < 0.05). Thereafter, pain scores were significantly higher with EMLA (P < 0.05). Blanching was present at all the peripheral venous sites treated with EMLA cream. Signs of inflammation (erythema, edema) were not more frequent with EMLA than with piroxicam (P > 0.05). Induration was more frequent with EMLA at six hours. CONCLUSION: In volunteers EMLA cream is associated with less pain on cannulation and cannula advancement compared to piroxicam gel. Topical application of piroxicam gel before peripheral venous cannulation alleviates pain and, possibly, inflammation in the period subsequent to cannulation itself.     

Reduction of pain at venous cannulation in children with a eu tec tic mixture of lidocaine and prilocaine (EMLA® cream): comparison with placebo cream and no local premedication

The local analgesic efficacy of a cream formulation of lidocaine and prilocaine (EMLA) in reducing pain at venous cannulation was investigated in children scheduled for elective surgery. Forty children participated in a double-blind, randomized comparison between EMLA and inactive placebo cream. Another group of 18 children without any local treatment was studied as an additional control material. Subjective pain scores, expressed with a visual analogue scale, were significantly lower in the EMLA group compared with both the group treated with placebo cream (P less than 0.001) and the open control group (no cream; P less than 0.01). Local pallor and slight oedema were the only side-effects, registered in both cream-treated groups. A preliminary study was also carried out with 10 children (five with EMLA and five without) in order to determine whether catecholamine and vasopressin levels in venous blood are affected by the stress and anxiety associated with venepuncture in children premedicated with oral flunitrazepam. No significant hormone responses were, however, detected. The lidocaine concentrations measured in venous blood taken from the application site of EMLA cream were low, and there were no measurable levels of lidocaine in simultaneous blood samples from the opposite extremity. In our opinion EMLA cream is safe and alleviates effectively the pain associated with venepuncture, and thus deserves a place in the routine premedication of children.     

DEPTH AND DURATION OF SKIN ANALGESIA TO NEEDLE INSERTION AFTER TOPICAL APPLICATION OF EMLA CREAM

We have determined the depth and duration of analgesia to needleinsertion after topical application of EMLA cream (EutecticMixture of Local Analgesics). EMLA was applied for 30. 60, 90and 120 min and the sensory and pain threshold depths were determinedbefore analgesia (1.0 and 1.9 mm, respectively) and up to 4h after the cream was removed from the skin. The maximal depthof analgesia (approx. 5 mm) was observed 30 min after a 90-minapplication and during the 60-min period after a 120-min applicationof EMLA cream, for both sensory and pain thresholds. For applicationtimes shorter than 120 min, the depth of analgesia increasedduring the perio d after remo val of the cream. This suggestsnew guidelines for the use of this topical analgesic     

Efficacy of EMLA cream, effect of time and place of application

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the anesthetic efficacy of EMLA cream for alleviating pain associated with puncture and pressure in areas where venous catheters are normally inserted. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a prospective, double blind study in 38 volunteers between 25 and 36 years of age, after obtaining informed consent. A 1.5 g dose of EMLA cream was applied to three sites on each patient: the back of the hand, the antecubital fossa and the side of the neck. Placebo cream with similar characteristics was applied to contralateral sites. Pain was evaluated on a visual analog scale (VAS, 0-10). Tactile sensitivity was assessed on a four-point scale (0 = no sensation; 1 = slight sensation; 2 = moderate, and 3 = strong). An analysis of variance study was performed to compare baseline scores to results over time, and placebo results to EMLA scores for each test site. RESULTS: The assessment of response to puncture and pressure gradually decreased over time for the sites where EMLA cream was applied, but not for the areas where placebo was applied. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of EMLA cream varies demonstrably depending on type of stimulus, site of application and time since application.     

Repeated application of EMLA cream 5% for the alleviation of cannulation pain in haemodialysis

The analgesic effect and the occurrence of local reactions after repeated application of a lidocaine/prilocaine cream (EMLA 5%) were investigated in 31 haemodialysis patients. The cream was used for alleviation of cannulation pain prior to the haemodialysis (HD) for a period of 1-1.5 years. In each patient 300 to 312 applications of the cream were made during the period. Local skin reactions were recorded after the cream applications and the analgesic effect was evaluated with double-blind, crossover placebo controls at regular intervals. Seventeen patients completed the study. EMLA gave considerable pain relief and was significantly better than placebo at all effect evaluations but one. The frequency of local reactions was low and not correlated to the number of applications of EMLA. Two patients, however, interrupted their treatment due to local irritation.     

Does the Pattern of Venous Insufficiency Influence Healing of Venous Leg Ulcers after Skin Transplantation?

AIMS: this study aimed to investigate the influence of venous insufficiency on results in venous leg ulcers treated with ulcer excision, meshed split-skin transplantation and correction of superficial venous insufficiency in the wound area. DESIGN: retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Copenhagen Wound Healing Center. METHODS: in 113 patients with venous leg ulceration, examined preoperatively with colour Duplex scanning (CDS), prognostic factors of healing and recurrence within 1 year were analysed using logistic regression. RESULTS:cumulative 1-year healing rate was 65% (73 patients) and 13 (12%) had recurrence of ulceration 1 year postoperatively. Initial ulcer size (OR: 0.97(95% CI: 0.96-0.99)), minor local superficial venous surgery (OR: 2.38 (95% CI: 1.04-5.46)), sufficient popliteal vein (2.97 (1.05-8.42)) and non-compliance with compression therapy (OR: 0.27 (95% CI: 0.11-0.71)) influenced the prognosis of healing positively. No statistically significant differences in healing and recurrence between patients with isolated superficial and mixed superficial/deep venous insufficiency was found. CONCLUSION: non-healing venous leg ulcers can be treated with ulcer excision, meshed split-skin transplantation and correction of superficial venous insufficiency in the wound area with beneficial results irrespective of underlying pattern of venous insufficiency as determined by CDS.     

Insufficient effect of local analgesics in Ehlers Danlos type III patients (connective tissue disorder)

The analgesic effects of intradermal lidocaine infiltration and topical EMLA cream applications (eutectic mixture of local anaesthetics) were studied in 8 patients with Ehlers Danlos syndrome type III, a heritable disorder of connective tissue, and in 8 controls. Cutaneous analgesia was evaluated by sensory and pain thresholds to short argon laser stimulation, and the depth of cutaneous analgesia was measured by sensory and pain thresholds to controlled needle insertion. Five minutes after lidocaine infiltration, the laser-induced pain was abolished in both groups, but 1 h later only the skin of the controls remained analgesic. EMLA cream was applied for 30, 60, and 120 min, but none of the patients obtained sufficient analgesia. Full analgesia was obtained for the controls after 60 and 120 min of application. The depth of cutaneous EMLA analgesia was significantly less for the patients compared to controls. The present quantitative findings support clinical observations that long-lasting cutaneous analgesia is difficult to obtain for this group of patients.     

The EMLA patch—a new type of local anaesthetic application for dermal analgesia in children

The skin application of EMLA cream under a Tegaderm dressing was compared in children with a new combined dressing/local anaesthetic patch—the EMLA patch. The analgesic effect during venepuncture was assessed using a visual analogue scale (patients) and a verbal rating scale (investigator). Skin adhesiveness and incidence of local skin reactions with the two types of application were also studied. The study was designed as an open randomised trial with two parallel groups. Sixty children, aged between 5 and 15 years were evaluated. After a minimum application time of 60 min an intravenous cannula was inserted. There was no difference in analgesia as assessed by the patients or the investigators. Mild discomfort at removal of the occlusive dressing/patch was observed in a few patients, but there was no difference in the adhesiveness of the Tegaderm dressing and the EMLA patch. Only mild local skin reactions (with paleness in the anaesthetised skin area) were observed in both groups. It was concluded that both the EMLA patch and the Tegaderm/EMLA cream dressing provide effective dermal analgesia for venepuncture with a 0.8 mm (outer diameter) cannula. The two types of application were indistinguishable but the ease of application of the patch is a distinct advantage.     

EMLA Versus Ice as a Topical Anesthetic

BACKGROUND: There are many different topical anesthetics available. Ice is an easy to use and inexpensive topical anesthetic. There are studies comparing different topical anesthetics but none have used ice. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy between EMLA (2.5% lidocaine and 2.5% prilocaine cream) and ice prior to injection with a 30-gauge needle containing a painful stimuli. METHOD: A fingertip amount of EMLA cream was placed on the upper left arm and occluded with a bandage for an average of 52 minutes. Ice in a rubber glove was placed on the right upper arm for 1-2 minutes. The EMLA site, ice site, and a control site without anesthetic were tested for cutaneous analgesia with an injection of 1% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine through a 30-gauge needle using a 3 cc syringe. Discomfort was recorded using a visual acuity scale (VAS). Analysis of data was performed using a t test paired sample of two means. RESULTS: Statistically there was a significant difference in pain control between EMLA and ice (P <.05), EMLA and control (P <.01), and ice and control (P <.01). Clinically patients felt that EMLA performed slightly better as an analgesic than ice, and both EMLA and ice were more efficacious than the control. CONCLUSION: Both EMLA and ice decreased the discomfort associated with needle injection. Although EMLA performed better in pain control, ice has advantages in ease of use, fast action, and is less expensive than EMLA. Both EMLA and ice were good topical anesthetics, each with advantages and disadvantages in clinical use.     

Use of a lignocaine-prilocaine cream as an analgesic in dye laser treatment of port-wine stains

A eutectic mixture of two local anaesthetics—prilocaine and lignocaine (EMLA cream)—has been investigated for its usefulness as an analgesic in the treatment of facial port-wine stains with the tunable dye laser. The cream provided adequate analgesia in eight of 10 patients assessed and was well tolerated. The results of treatment after use of EMLA cream were no different from those where conventional analgesia had been used, and EMLA cream can be recommended for analgesia during laser treatment of port-wine stains.     

The morbidity of split-skin graft donor sites in the elderly: the case for mesh-grafting the donor site

An impression that the healing of split-skin donor sites in the elderly is significantly prolonged compared with that in younger patients was confirmed by retrospective and prospective clinical studies. Possible explanations are discussed. In a prospective clinical trial of 20 consecutive patients over the age of 60 part of the donor site was covered with a meshed skin graft leaving the remaining unmeshed area as a control. In all patients the mesh-grafted area was healed in 10 days while the control "unmeshed" area demonstrated the same morbidity we had noted in patients over 60 in our retrospective study. It is suggested that the mesh grafting of small split-skin donor sites in the elderly can accelerate the rate of healing and significantly reduce the demands on hospital and community resources.     

EMLA partially relieves the pain of EMG needling

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the topical analgesic cream EMLA in alleviating the pains caused by needling in electromyography (EMG). During the course of regular neurophysiology clinics, 34 Caucasian patients of both sexes, aged 21 to 69 yr (mean 38.5 +/- 11.4 SD), scheduled for electromyography, were studied. The EMLA was spread thickly on two EMG sites on each arm: E site, on the lateral dorsal aspect of the forearm and A site, on the thenar eminence. Randomization was pre-established. Whenever EMLA was applied blindly on one of the sites of the arm, the placebo was applied on the homologous site of the other arm. After at least 45 min of application (range 45-145 min, mean = 72.3 +/- 22.2), the needle was inserted into the skin and into the muscle. Then the electromyographist asked the patient to score his degree of pain on a visual analogue scale (VAS 1-10 cm) for each level of insertion. The results showed that on the skin of E site, the pain was less after EMLA than placebo (VAS = 0.75 +/- 1.36 vs 3.10 +/- 1.75, P = 0.0001). The untreated E site (placebo) was less sensitive than the untreated A site (VAS = 3.10 +/- 1.75 vs 6.09 +/- 1.96, P = 0.0001). Muscle insertion on E site was less painful on the EMLA sites than placebo (VAS = 2.83 +/- 2.45 vs 5.73 +/- 2.30, P = 0.0001). The VAS scores for skin and muscle insertion on A site were identical whether EMLA or placebo had been applied.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The efficacy of 5% lidocaine-prilocaine (EMLA) cream on pain during intravenous injection of propofol

Topical anesthesia using 60% lidocaine tape reduces the incidence of propofol injection pain. We conducted a randomized prospective double-blinded placebo-controlled study to assess the analgesic efficacy of pretreatment with topical 5% lidocaine-prilocaine (EMLA) cream in 90 ASA physical status I and II adult patients scheduled to undergo day-case gynecological surgery. Propofol injection pain was not reduced by pretreatment with EMLA cream, whereas the addition of lidocaine to propofol did significantly reduce propofol injection pain compared with the control group (P = 0.002). We conclude that topical anesthesia with EMLA cream applied for 60 min does not significantly reduce propofol injection pain.     

Topical ibuprofen for skin analgesia prior to venepuncture

The analgesic effect of topical ibuprofen was investigated in ten volunteers. There were no significant differences in visual analogue scale pain scores for pinprick after 15 and 60 mm of application of ibuprofen, placebo and EM LA cream. Comparison of visual analogue scale scores for venous cannulation after similar durations of ibuprofen and EMLA creams found significantly (p < 0.014) lower scores for EMLA at 60min. We do not consider ibuprofen cream to be clinically useful for venous cannulation.     

股前外侧游离穿支皮瓣修复头面部和四肢肿瘤切除后软组织缺损

目的探讨应用股前外侧穿支皮瓣,修复头面部和四肢肿瘤切除术后的方法及其效果。方法2004年4月-2006年4月,收治头面部及四肢肿瘤切除术后造成的软组织缺损,采用股前外侧穿支皮瓣游离移植共16例,男13例,女3例;年龄26-72岁。头面部肿瘤9例,其中头顶部基底细胞癌1例,面部鳞状细胞癌4例（包括肿瘤复发1例）,腮腺癌4例;软组织缺损范围8cm×6cm-20cm×13cm,病程6-24个月。四肢肉瘤7例,其中上肢2例,下肢4例,小腿复发1例;软组织缺损范围10cm×7cm-21cm×12cm,病程2-18个月。结果16例应用股前外侧穿支皮瓣游离移植修复,15例皮瓣全部成活,1例皮瓣远端约2.5cm宽范围缺血坏死;14例创口期愈合;2例创口期愈合,其中1例经切除坏死组织,直接缝合后期愈合,另1例创口有3cm裂口,经换药后期愈合。术后随访1-18个月,肿瘤无复发,供受区外观良好,平整,无明显瘢痕及功能影响;受区修复效果满意。结论股前外侧穿支皮瓣游离移植,修复效果好,对供区损伤小,是一种较理想的修复头面和四肢肿瘤切除术后软组织缺损的方法。     

EMLA cream does not influence efficacy and pain reduction during pulsed-dye laser treatment of port-wine stain: a prospective side-by-side comparison

EMLA cream was developed to reduce pain during pulsed-dye laser (PDL) treatment; however, no standard assessment for the therapeutic outcomes of PDL with EMLA creams thus far available. This comparative, prospective clinical trial evaluates laser efficacy and pain reduction during PDL treatment with EMLA cream for local topical anesthesia. Nineteen patients with untreated port-wine stain (PWS) were treated using PDL and examined in this study. Treatment specifications included Vbeam® PDL (Candela Corp.), 595-nm wavelength, 9 J/cm² radiant exposure, 0.45 ms pulse duration, 10 mm spot size, and cryogen spray cooling (40 ms cooling plus a 20 ms delay). A topical anesthetic (EMLA cream: 2.5% lidocaine and 2.5% prilocaine) and a placebo were applied to two respective testing areas on all patients prior to treatment. The visual analog scale (VAS) was used for pain assessment. Clinical therapeutic outcomes were evaluated by visual evaluation and with the use of a chromameter 2 months after 3PDL treatments. The average VAS scores were 3.15?±?0.95 and 8?±?0.57 for the EMLA cream site and the placebo site, respectively, at a significance level p?<?0.001. The EMLA cream site and the placebo site had clearance or fading rates of 45.08 and 44.12%, respectively (p?<?0.05). No serious side effects were reported. Patients reported a consistent decrease in pain during PDL treatment when the topical anesthetic EMLA cream was administered. Treatment of PWS by PDL with EMLA cream does not lead to a decrease in efficacy or an increase in side effects; instead, it significantly reduces pain during treatment. EMLA cream is a safe and effective local topical anesthetic for PWS treatment by PDL.     

Tetracaine gel vs EMLA cream for percutaneous anaesthesia in children

We have evaluated the anaesthetic effect of tetracaine gel 1 g, applied for 45 min, compared with EMLA cream 2 g, applied for 60 min, in a randomized, double-blind study in 60 children aged 3-15 yr. Venous cannulation was performed 15 min after removal of the EMLA cream (n = 20) and tetracaine gel (n = 20). Cannulation was performed up to 215 min after removal of the tetracaine gel in another 20 patients. Significantly lower pain scores were recorded by the children treated with tetracaine gel compared with EMLA cream (P < 0.02). Forty to 45% of children in the tetracaine groups reported no pain compared with only 10% in the EMLA group. Only minor adverse effects were observed. We conclude that tetracaine gel provided effective, rapid, long-lasting and safe local anaesthesia, and was significantly better than EMLA cream in reducing pain during venous cannulation in children using the recommended application periods for both formulations.