REPLACEMENT OF LIDOCAINE GEL WITH TOPICAL PROPARACAINE ANESTHESIA FOR ROUTINE INTRAVITREAL INJECTIONS: A Comparative Study.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

Lidocaine gel was suggested to be highly effective in providing anesthesia for intravitreal injections but adverse effects include a possibility of making sterilization of the conjunctiva difficult. Hence, we wished to determine the effect of using 0.5% proparacaine drops alone over the use of 3.5% lidocaine hydrochloride gel anesthesia during office-based intravitreal injections.

METHODOLOGY:

This was a case-control study in patients who came routinely to the clinic for antivascular endothelial growth factor injections. Eyes were treated with one of two anesthesia modalities. A total of 216 injections in 120 patients were reviewed. One group (N = 107) underwent anesthesia with 0.5% proparacaine drops, and the control group (N = 109) received 3.5% lidocaine gel. The pain perceived after injection was graded using the numerical rating scale, and score was immediately recorded by the "masked" injecting physician.

RESULTS:

The mean pain score (±SD) for the proparacaine-only group versus gel group was 1.97 (±1.17) versus 1.76 (±0.92), P value = 0.3174. There was no statistical difference between the 2 groups.

CONCLUSION:

3.5% lidocaine gel is not superior to 0.5% proparacaine drops as patients attained good pain control and excellent rates of overall satisfaction with proparacaine drops alone.

• Authors: Varsha Alex, Sumit R Singh, Tahmineh Motevasseli, Melina Cavicchini, Mahima Jhingan, Dirk-Uwe Bartsch, Lingyun Cheng, William R Freeman
• Journal: Retina (Philadelphia, Pa.) (Retina) Vol. 41 Issue 6 Pg. 1309-1313 (Jun 01 2021) ISSN: 1539-2864 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 33141787 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Anesthetics, Local
• Ophthalmic Solutions
• Lidocaine
• proxymetacaine
• Propoxycaine

Topics

• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Anesthesia, Local (methods)
• Anesthetics, Local (administration & dosage)
• Case-Control Studies
• Drug Substitution (methods)
• Female
• Humans
• Intravitreal Injections
• Lidocaine (administration & dosage)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Ophthalmic Solutions
• Propoxycaine (administration & dosage)
• Prospective Studies