Lidocaine—Prilocaine Cream versus Tetracaine Gel for Procedural Pain in Children

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relative efficacy of lidocaine—prilocaine and tetracaine for procedural pain in children. METHODS: Systematic review was performed (MEDLINE 1990–June 2001) of all studies comparing the efficacy of these 2 modalities of pain relief in children undergoing painful cutaneous procedures. Search terms included lidocaine, prilocaine, tetracaine, and anesthesia. RESULTS: Eight studies compared lidocaine—prilocaine with tetracaine in children for 4 different procedures: intravenous cannulation, venipuncture, Port-a-Cath puncture, and laser therapy. When used as labeled (60 min for lidocaine—prilocaine, 30 min for tetracaine), the 2 modalities provided similar analgesic efficacy. When both anesthetics were applied for a similar duration of time (40 min, 60 min, 2 h), tetracaine provided superior anesthesia. Tetracaine was commonly associated with erythema, and lidocaine—prilocaine was associated with blanching of the skin. CONCLUSIONS: Lidocaine—prilocaine and tetracaine appear to be comparable for procedural pain relief when used as recommended. Tetracaine is more efficacious than lidocaine—prilocaine when both anesthetics are applied for the same amount of time.