Context: The anxiety related to venepuncture can result in a hemodynamic stress response leading to increase in heart rate and blood pressure of the patient. Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of eutectic mixture of local anesthetic (EMLA) cream in attenuating the hemodynamic response to venous cannulation. Settings and Design: 200 patients undergoing elective operative procedures belonging to ASA grade I and II aged 18­60 years were selected and were divided into two groups. Methods and Material: EMLA cream was applied for 60 minutes in 100 group I patients with an occlusive dressing and in remaining 100 group II patients, normal saline was applied before cannulation. Heart rate and blood pressure was recorded prior and during cannulation. Statistical Analysis Used: Data analysis was done by Z­test. Results: There was no significant difference in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure among group­I and group­II before cannulation. There was statistically significant difference in heart rate among group­I and group­II during cannulation (z=5.05, p<0.01). There is significant difference in systolic blood pressure among group­I and group­II during cannulation (z=5.28, p<0.01). Significant difference of diastolic blood pressure among group­I and group­II patients was noticed during cannulation (z=2.65, p<0.01). Conclusions: The hemodynamic stress response to venous cannulation was significantly low in patients with EMLA cream when compared to the control group. The effective time of application of EMLA cream in producing adequate analgesia to venous cannulation was found to be 60 minutes. No significant local side effects of EMLA cream were seen.

Keywords: Eutectic Mixture of Local Anaesthetic Cream; Hemodynamic Response; Venepuncture