An Evidence-Based Practice Review of EMLA Compared with ELA-Max for Pain Reduction in Pediatric IV Insertion

Abstract

The Evidence Based Practice (EBP) team created the following PICO: "In pediatric patients getting an IV inserted, how does EMLA-cream compared to ELA-max affect pain reduction?" and selected the best research evidence to review. The team synthesized the evidence finding numerous similarities indicating no statistical significance in the suppression of pain between ELA-Max and EMLA-cream. While the team found no statistical significance, several noteworthy clinical differences were determined such as cost, time, clinical expertise, and patient preferences. These results are utilized to recommend organizational policies that promote the use of ELA-Max over EMLA-cream in intravenous insertion in pediatric populations.