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| |  Lidocaine Iontophoresis Reduces Pain Of Needle Sticks For Kids SALT LAKE CITY, UT -- Aug. 6, 1998 -- A study published in The Journal of Pediatrics shows that lidocaine iontophoresis reduces the pain children feel from needle sticks. Iontophoresis is a needle-free method of delivering certain types of medication directly into and through the skin using a mild, low-level electric current. In the double-blind, randomised study of 42 children ages seven to 18 years, researchers used Iomed(R) Inc.'s iontophoretic drug delivery system to measure the effectiveness of lidocaine iontophoresis for reducing the pain associated with needle insertion compared with receiving placebo therapy. Study results concluded patients receiving lidocaine iontophoresis were noted to have a three-fold reduction in pain compared with placebo prior to IV catheter placement. The study was conducted by physicians in the departments of pediatrics, epidemiology and pharmacy at Egleston Children's Hospital, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA. "Iontophoresis has been used clinically for more than 30 years, but its use in delivering anesthesia is relatively new," said William Zempsky, M.D. "Conducting this study enabled us to conclude that lidocaine iontophoresis provides rapid and effective topical anesthesia for intravenous access in children." The pediatric application of iontophoresis, marketed as Numby Stuff(R), is a needle-free method of delivering Iontocaine(R), Iomed's brand of anesthetic medication, directly into the skin using a mild, low-level electric current from a small, battery-powered dose controller. In as little as 10 minutes, the skin and underlying tissue becomes completely numb up to a depth of 10 millimetres, allowing the physician or nurse to proceed with local dermal procedures. Numby Stuff is currently being used in hospitals nation-wide for the delivery of anesthesia prior to IV starts, drawing blood, performing a minor surgical procedure such as a skin biopsy, port access, performing a lumbar puncture and any other procedure over intact skin where the skin needs to be numbed.
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