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Date of Graduation
12-12-2025
Semester of Graduation
Fall
Course Instructor
Laura Tice
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate whether topical lidocaine improves the subjective perception of pain during the insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD) in women of childbearing age, compared to a placebo. Design: Mini-systematic literature review. Methods: An initial search of PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus was conducted using the terms "pain control," "IUD," and "lidocaine," yielding 49 articles, of which 31 were screened and 26 excluded based on pre-designated inclusion criteria. After assessing five articles for eligibility, three met the criteria and were evaluated using Duke University's Clinical Appraisal Worksheet and the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine table to determine their level of evidence, with the number needed to treat (NNT) calculated for clinical applicability. Results: The three articles included in this mini-systematic review are: Panichyawat et al, Aksoy et al, and Rapkin et al. Conclusion: Topical lidocaine, applied as a spray or gel, shows potential for pain reduction during tenaculum placement, uterine sounding, and IUD insertion. However, its effectiveness in reducing post-insertion pain remains inconclusive and further research is needed regarding patient characteristics, application methods, and lidocaine formulations.
Recommended Citation
1.Gaudet P, Ramakrishnan J, Azam F. Topical Lidocaine for Pain Control with Intrauterine Device Insertion: Does It Work?; 2024.
Included in
Medical Pharmacology Commons, Obstetrics and Gynecology Commons, Reproductive and Urinary Physiology Commons
