Study: Iontophoresis reduces needlestick pain
The June 1998 issue of The Journal of Pediatrics features a study on "Lidocaine Iontophoresis for Topical Anesthesia before Intravenous Line Placement in Children," and concludes that lidocaine iontophoresis reduces the pain children feel as the result of needlesticks.
Iontophoresis is a needle-free method of delivering certain types of medication directly into and through the skin using a mild, low-level electric current.
The double-blind, randomized study of 42 children ranging in ages from seven to 18 years old evaluated Salt Lake City-based IOMED's Numby Stuff iontophoretic drug delivery system to measure the effectiveness of lidocaine iontophoresis for reducing the pain associated with needlesticks vs. pain reduced when children received a placebo therapy.
The study, conducted at the Departments of Pediatrics, Epidemiology and Pharmacy at Egleston Children's Hospital, Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, concluded that the children receiving lidocaine iontophoresis had a three-fold reduction in pain compared with placebo treatment prior to an IV catheter start.
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