Dermal patch anaesthesia for venous cannulation with 10% lignocaine gel containing glycyrrhetinic acid monohemiphthalate disodium as an absorption promoter.

The clinical efficacy of transdermal 10% lignocaine gel mixture containing 3% w/w glycyrrhetinic acid monohemiphthalate disodium as an absorption promoter was evaluated at venous cannulation in 17 paediatric (6-11 years) and 17 adult (29-65 years) patients. After about 60 min of occlusive application, the mean (SD) pinprick pain score was 0.7 (0.7) in the paediatric group, compared with 1.4 (1.3) in the adults (p less than 0.05). Twenty-five patients (14 children and 11 adults) who had a pinprick score of 0 or 1 underwent venous cannulation without intradermal local anaesthetic. The mean (SD) pain scores at venepuncture showed no significant differences between children and adults.