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Evaluation of a diclofenac transdermal patch for the attenuation of venous cannulation pain: a prospective, randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study
Author(s) -
Agarwal A.,
Dhiraaj S.,
Kumar A.,
Singhal V.,
Singh U.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2006.04538.x
Subject(s) - medicine , diclofenac , anesthesia , placebo , transdermal patch , visual analogue scale , surgery , transdermal , analgesic , venipuncture , alternative medicine , pathology , pharmacology
Summary Venous cannulation, although a minor procedure, is often painful. The present study was planned to evaluate the efficacy of a diclofenac transdermal patch placed over the venepuncture site in decreasing the pain of cannulation. Seventy‐two adults undergoing elective surgery were included in this randomised, prospective, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study. Patients were divided into three equal groups. The Control group had a placebo adhesive patch placed on the both the dorsum of hand and the buttock; the Diclofenac‐Buttock group had a placebo patch placed on the dorsum of the hand and a diclofenac transdermal patch on the buttock; the Diclofenac‐Hand group had a diclofenac transdermal patch placed on the dorsum of hand and a placebo patch on the buttock. The patches were applied 1 h before cannulation. An 18G cannula was used for all venous cannulations. Pain during cannulation was assessed on a non‐graduated 10‐cm visual analogue scale. Median [interquartile range] pain scores were 3.0 [2.0–4.0] in the Diclofenac‐Hand group, 5.0 [4.3–7.8] in the Diclofenac‐Buttock group and 6.5 [4.5–7.0] in the Control group, p < 0.05. The numbers needed to treat were six and two in the Diclofenac‐Buttock and Diclofenac‐Hand groups, respectively. The application of a diclofenac transdermal patch at the cannulation site appears to be effective in decreasing cannulation pain.