ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of eutetic mixture of local anesthetics (EMLA) with Ametop in providing local anesthesia for grommet insertion. STUDY DESIGN: Double-blind randomized clinical trial. SETTING: University teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Forty-one adult patients diagnosed with otitis media with effusion were recruited into the trial and underwent grommet insertion under local anesthesia; 21 were randomly allocated to the EMLA group and 20 to the Ametop group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure of the study was the level of pain experienced by the patient. The secondary outcome measure was the overall satisfaction with the procedure. Both measures were assessed using visual analogue scales. RESULTS: Both the topical anesthetic agents provided good pain relief during grommet insertion. There was no statistically significant difference in the pain or satisfaction scores. CONCLUSION: Both EMLA and Ametop can provide good local anesthetic effect during grommet insertion.
