The use of EMLA cream to decrease venipuncture pain in children.

Venipuncture is one of the most painful medical procedures for a child, and it is one of the most frequently performed. This literature synthesis reviews evidence for the use of eutectic mixture of local anesthetics (EMLA) cream to reduce the pain children experience during venipuncture. EMLA cream was compared with placebo, iontophoresis, and amethocaine cream and was found to be an effective local anesthetic for pediatric venipuncture pain during both intravenous cannulation and phlebotomy.