Use of Local Warming in Children Venipuncture

Use of Local Warming in Children to Facilitate Venipuncture. A Randomized Controlled Trial.

The aim of this study is to determine if local application of heat increases the probability of insertion of peripheral venous catheter at the first attempt, reduces the time needed to obtain cannulation and maintains the analgesic effect of Emla in children undergoing peripheral venous cannulation and previously treated with local analgesia with Emla.

Inclusion Criteria:

• age between 8 and 13 years
• Intravenous drug therapy prescribed by a physician
• no allergy to lidocaine
• no local skin disease
• absence of burns scars
• child and his/her family are native speaker of Italian
• BMI not lower than 10° centile for sex and age according to the CDC standards

Exclusion Criteria:

• age of child not included in the age range established for the study
• Intravenous drug therapy not needed
• Presence of an allergy to lidocaine products
• Skin disease
• Presence of burns scars
• The child or his/her family are not native speaker Italian
• BMI lower than 10° centile according to the CDC standards