Comparison of Two Lidocaine Administration Techniques

Comparison of Two Lidocaine Administration Techniques

The objective of our study is to determine if technique of lidocaine administration can decrease pain perception.

Hypothesis: There will be a significant difference in pain perception between patients who are given lidocaine on the skin surface prior to subcutaneous injection and patients who are given only subcutaneous injection by standard approach.

This is a single center prospective, randomized, blinded study assessing pain perception following 2 different lidocaine administration techniques in subjects who have planned medical procedures requiring local injection of lidocaine. Subjects will be approached and consented to participate in the study. They will be interviewed after the scheduled medical procedure to assess their pain using validated pain scores. An investigator who is not present for the procedure and blinded to the randomization will gather data regarding perceptions of pain from the entire procedure.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult patients refered to the University of Chicago Medical Centers Procedure Service for a planned medical procedure requiring local injection of lidocaine.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient who lack decisional capacity to consent
• Patients who lack the ability to answer questions in english using pain scales