Abstract
Background Eutectic mixture of local anesthetics (EMLA) cream is often used for local anesthesia during spinal injections. However, this agent has delayed onset of action while vapocoolant spray serves more advantages. The vapocoolant spray containing ethyl chloride has fast onset and is safe, low cost, and widely available. This study aimed at comparing the effectiveness of vapocoolant spray and EMLA cream in reducing pain for spinal injections. Methods This was an experimental study on 94 subjects with 47 subjects treated with EMLA cream and 47 subjects treated with vapocoolant spray. The effectiveness of anesthesia was assessed by using Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and patient movement during the surgery. Results This study found that the pain scale was NPRS 0 (0–3) for the EMLA group and NPRS 0 (0–4) for the vapocoolant spray group. There was no significant difference between two groups for pain scale according to the Mann–Whitney U test. For patient movement, the movement was reported only in one (2.1%) patient in the EMLA group and one (2.1%) patient in the vapocoolant spray group. Based on Fisher's test, there was no significant difference between the two groups for patient movement. Conclusions Both EMLA cream and vapocoolant spray were equally effective in reducing pain during spinal injection. There was no difference in degree of pain reduction and patient movement between the EMLA cream group and the vapocoolant spray group during spinal injection.
Highlights
Eutectic mixture of local anesthetics (EMLA) cream is often used for local anesthesia during spinal injections
This agent is cheaper and widely available in the daily practice in comparison with EMLA cream. is study aimed to compare the effectiveness between vapocoolant spray and EMLA cream as the local anesthetic agent during spinal injections
Research subjects were divided into two groups with administration of vapocoolant spray containing ethyl chloride for the treatment group and EMLA cream for the control group
Summary
Pain during any medical procedures, including spinal anesthesia, should be managed carefully as this would affect the perception and comfort of the patients [1, 2]. EMLA cream is often used to decrease the pain during spinal injections This agent has longer onset of action, up to 30 minutes, before the peak of action [7]. Past studies have mentioned the wide indications of vapocoolant spray for many medical procedures. E result showed that both vapocoolant spray and EMLA cream significantly decreased the pain intensity during injections [11]. In Indonesia, currently there is no study regarding the use of vapocoolant spray as local anesthetic agent during spinal injections. This agent is cheaper and widely available in the daily practice in comparison with EMLA cream. Is study aimed to compare the effectiveness between vapocoolant spray and EMLA cream as the local anesthetic agent during spinal injections This agent is cheaper and widely available in the daily practice in comparison with EMLA cream. is study aimed to compare the effectiveness between vapocoolant spray and EMLA cream as the local anesthetic agent during spinal injections
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