EMLA and Intravenous Access
This study was completed by Schreiber et al (2013) to see if the alleged vasoconstrictive effects of EMLA cream make it more difficult for healthcare workers to initiate intravenous access in children. The article begins by discussing pain from venipuncture and venous cannulation and how local anaesthetic cream such as EMLA can be used to reduce the pain; however, 16 out of 58 clinicians interviewed believed that using EMLA cream on young children made achieving intravenous access more difficult (Schreiber et al, 2013) To explore this issue, Schreiber et al (2013) conducted a observational study that involved 388 children who required intravenous access, 255 received EMLA while 133 did not receive EMLA. The decision to use EMLA or not was at the discretion of the clinician and the benefits and negatives of its application were discussed with the subject and parents (Schreiber et al, 2013).
Schreiber et al (2013) found that 86% of IV attempts were successful on the first try for the EMLA group and 76.7% successful on the first try for the no EMLA group. It was concluded that this difference in success was not statistically significant and indicates that EMLA application prior to obtaining IV access …show more content…
Perhaps it would be beneficial to apply the EMLA cream during the initial triage of the patient, allowing the EMLA to take effect while the patient waits in the waiting room. A protocol may be created to guide the nurse’s decision to apply EMLA cream; taking into consideration which pediatric patients will likely require intravenous access such as dehydrated patients but are not so sick that they cannot wait for the EMLA cream to take effect prior to achieving access. The idea is that by the time the physician assesses and recommends treatment the EMLA would have had time to take
This study was completed by Schreiber et al (2013) to see if the alleged vasoconstrictive effects of EMLA cream make it more difficult for healthcare workers to initiate intravenous access in children. The article begins by discussing pain from venipuncture and venous cannulation and how local anaesthetic cream such as EMLA can be used to reduce the pain; however, 16 out of 58 clinicians interviewed believed that using EMLA cream on young children made achieving intravenous access more difficult (Schreiber et al, 2013) To explore this issue, Schreiber et al (2013) conducted a observational study that involved 388 children who required intravenous access, 255 received EMLA while 133 did not receive EMLA. The decision to use EMLA or not was at the discretion of the clinician and the benefits and negatives of its application were discussed with the subject and parents (Schreiber et al, 2013).
Schreiber et al (2013) found that 86% of IV attempts were successful on the first try for the EMLA group and 76.7% successful on the first try for the no EMLA group. It was concluded that this difference in success was not statistically significant and indicates that EMLA application prior to obtaining IV access …show more content…
Perhaps it would be beneficial to apply the EMLA cream during the initial triage of the patient, allowing the EMLA to take effect while the patient waits in the waiting room. A protocol may be created to guide the nurse’s decision to apply EMLA cream; taking into consideration which pediatric patients will likely require intravenous access such as dehydrated patients but are not so sick that they cannot wait for the EMLA cream to take effect prior to achieving access. The idea is that by the time the physician assesses and recommends treatment the EMLA would have had time to take