| Dar K et al, 1995, England | 55 acute medical admissions requiring blood gas measurement. capillary samples from all patients, plus arterial sample after infiltration of 1% lignocaine or no infiltration using 22G needle | PCT | pain of arterial puncture using a scale 0 to 10. | lower mean pain score with LA 2.0 v 7.0 without LA | did not assess significance of difference between LA or not. Pain scores for capillary sampling are different for the two groups |
| | | preference of capillary or arterial sampling | capillary sampling less painful | |
| | | comparability of results from arterial and capillary samples | mean differences for po2 and pco2 were not significant. mean differences for pH and standard bicarbonate reported to be significant but clinically unimportant |
| Giner J et al, 1996, Spain | 270 patients attending pulmonary function lab for abg. arterial puncture with 22G needle after infiltration with 1% mepivacaine, placebo or nothing | PRCT | Pain using 10 cm visual analogue scale | less pain with LA (1.5 cm v 3.06 cm with placebo, p=0.00001) (1.5 v 2.8 cm with nothing, p=0.0002) | Not emergency patients |
| | | time to prepare and perform | less time without LA (134 seconds v 171 seconds with infiltration, p<0.05) |
| | | | success at first pass | first pass success 93% with LA, 91% with placebo and 90 % without infiltration, significance not tested. | |
| Lightowler JV and Elliott MW, 1997, England | 101 patients requiring abg. arterial puncture with 29G needle after infiltration with 2% lignocaine, placebo or nothing. | PRCT | Pain, using a 4 point scale | Arterial puncture less painful with LA (1.5 v 2.2 with placebo p=0.0008, 1.5 v 2.1 with nothing p=0.0005) | Separates pain of infiltration from arterial puncture in scoring |
| | | difficulty of procedure as number of times skin broken, number of passes made and doctor rating. | no difference in difficulty, doctor rating 1.2 with LA v 1.1 placebo v 1.1 nothing | |