PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Yosef Uziel
AU  - Matitiahu Berkovitch
AU  - Madlen Gazarian
AU  - Gideon Koren
AU  - Earl D Silverman
AU  - Rayfel Schneider
AU  - Ronald M Laxer
TI  - Evaluation of eutectic lidocaine/prilocaine cream (EMLA) for steroid joint injection in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: a double blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial.
DP  - 2003 Mar 01
TA  - The Journal of Rheumatology
PG  - 594--596
VI  - 30
IP  - 3
4099  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/30/3/594.short
4100  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/30/3/594.full
SO  - J Rheumatol2003 Mar 01; 30
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of eutectic lidocaine/prilocaine cream (EMLA) in reducing the pain associated with steroid joint injection in children with juvenile arthritis. METHODS: A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled parallel group trial. Thirty-one children (ages 8-18 yrs) scheduled for steroid injection into a knee were randomized into groups having either 2.5 g lidocaine/prilocaine cream or placebo cream applied to the injection site 60-90 min before the procedure. Patients assessed the pain associated with initial needle insertion and subsequent steroid injection using a 10 cm visual analog scale. RESULTS: No significant difference was found in the pain reported after needle insertion or steroid injection between the lidocaine/prilocaine cream group (n = 17) and the placebo group (n = 14). There was a trend toward an association of lower median scores with the pain of steroid injection in the lidocaine/prilocaine group (6 mm) compared with the placebo group (22 mm). CONCLUSION: Application of 2.5 g lidocaine/prilocaine cream for 60-90 min had no statistically significant analgesic effect on pain associated with injections of steroids into the knees of children with juvenile arthritis.