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A users guide for reducing the pain of local anaesthetic administration

¹ Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen, UK
² New Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
³ St. John’s Hospital Livingston, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Omar Quaba
Specialist Registrar, Department of Plastic Surgery, Ward 39, Aberdeen Royal Infimary, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZA, UK; omarquaba{at}hotmail.com

ABSTRACT
Local anaesthetics (LAs) are used by medical practitioners in a number of clinical settings. The choice of agent and mode of administration is influenced by their experience, speciality and knowledge of the evidence base.

Patients often express concern about the discomfort experienced during injection. Although short lived, the pain of LA administration in some patients is severe enough for them to decline future surgery. Methods to minimise the pain of LA administration relate to (1) the patient, (2) the LA, and (3) the injection technique (table 1). This article aims to provide a practical guide to doctors of all specialities who use LAs.

Abbreviations: LA, local anaesthestics

Keywords: anaesthetic; local; pain

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