European Journal of Anaesthesiology

Table of Contents - 2004 - Volume 21, Issue 03  


Original Article

Do we necessarily need local anaesthetics for venous cannulation? A comparison of different cannula sizes

K. D. Röhm a1c1, T. A. H. Schöllhorn a1, M. J. Gwosdek a1, S. N. Piper a1, W. H. Maleck a2 and J. Boldt a1
a1 Klinikum Ludwigshafen, Department of Anaesthesiology, Ludwigshafen, Germany
a2 Spital Grenchen, Department of Anaesthesiology, Grenchen, Switzerland

Article author query
röhm kd   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
schöllhorn tah   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
gwosdek mj   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
piper sn   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
maleck wh   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
boldt j   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 

Summary

Background and objective: This randomized, prospective study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of a subcutaneous local anaesthetic infiltration prior to venepuncture using different cannula sizes.

Methods: Three-hundred-and-one patients were included in the study, 150 received mepivacaine 1% (0.25 mL) subcutaneously, 151 were cannulated without local analgesia. Patients were further allocated to one of five cannula size groups (standard wire gauge (G)): 20-, 18-, 17-, 16- and 14-G. They were asked to quantify the pain experienced using a four-point rating scale.

Results: In the group without local anaesthetics, 28.8% complained about pain compared to 12% receiving local analgesia. The incidence of pain for 14-G (10%) and 16-G (12.9%) cannulae was significantly reduced in the local analgesia group (P < 0.01) compared to no local analgesia (77.4% and 45.1%). Other cannula sizes showed no difference in pain whether using local analgesia or not.

Conclusions: Patients profit from a subcutaneous infiltration with mepivacaine 1% prior to intravenous cathetherization only when cannulae of size [greater-than-or-equal]16-G are inserted.

(Accepted August 2003)


Key Words: ANAESTHETICS, LOCAL, mepivacaine; VEINS, VENEPUNCTURE, cannulation.

Correspondence:
c1 Correspondence to: Kerstin Röhm, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Klinikum Ludwigshafen, Bremserstraße 79, D-67063 Ludwigshafen, Germany. E-mail: k.d.roehm@t-online.de; Tel: +49 621 503 3000; Fax: +49 621 503 3024

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