Xylocaine to Freeze During Unpleasant Nasopharyngeal Swabs

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2021-06-07
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) have been recommended to detect the virus. This procedure has been reported to be painful by 85% of children The aim of the study was to assess whether pretreatment with topical lidocaine reduces the discomfort experienced by children during a nasopharyngeal swab.

This was a RCT among children aged 8-17 years old who need a NPS. The primary outcome was pain intensity as measured by the Visual Analog Scale .

• Phase: Phase 2/Phase 3
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Evelyne D.Trottier
• Treatments: Lidocaine

Criteria

Inclusion:

• 6-17 years old inclusively

• Children for whom a NPS was ordered

Exclusion:

• Children presenting with the following acute conditions, which could either prevent the lidocaine from being properly administered, or pose a risk for the patient as increased absorption of the medication might occur:

• Nasal or airway burns, trauma or major anomaly

• Cardiorespiratory compromise

• Children for whom an informed consent could not be obtained

• Any other life-threatening condition or priority one patient requiring emergency support

• Language barrier

• Children presenting with conditions that could prevent their ability to reliably report their pain:

• Severe intellectual disability

• Severe pain upon presentation

• Administration of opiates prior to the NPS

• Children presenting with the following chronic conditions, which could either prevent the lidocaine from being properly administered, or pose a risk for the patient:

• Hypersensitivity/allergy to the medication or a known component

• Methemoglobinemia

• G6PD deficiency

• Familial malignant hyperthermia

• Pseudocholinesterase deficiency

• Severe hepatic impairment

• Severe cardiac condition or use of antiarrhythmic medication

• Risk of airway aspiration