Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p>Background. Trigger finger corticosteroid injection may be painful. Application of lidocaine before injection could reduce per-procedural pain. Objectives. We aimed to compare the effects of a lidocaine- to a saline-impregnated compress applied to the skin before the procedure, in reducing per-procedural pain. Methods. We conducted a double-blind randomized controlled trial comparing a lidocaine- to a saline-impregnated compress. We recruited individuals referred for an ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injection of a trigger finger. The allocation ratio was 1:1. A lidocaine-impregnated compress (n = 30) or a saline-impregnated compress (n = 30) was applied at the site of injection before corticosteroid injection in the experimental and control groups, respectively. The primary outcome was the self-reported maximal per-procedural pain on a numerical rating scale from 0 to 100 (0, no pain, to 100, maximal pain). Secondary outcomes were the self-reported acceptability of the per-procedural pain according to the participant and the operator on a numerical rating scale from 0 to 100 (0, not acceptable at all, to 100, totally acceptable). Results. Overall, 56 individuals were enrolled, for a total 60 fingers injected. Mean age was 64.5 (SD, 11.3) years. Self-reported maximal per-procedural pain was 33.7 (SD 22.2) in the experimental group and 29.0 (SD, 19.0) in the control group, and was not different between the 2 groups (p = 0.497). We found no differences in secondary outcomes. No adverse events were reported. Conclusion. Lidocaine impregnated-compress did not reduce maximal per-procedural pain as compared to saline impregnated-compress, during corticosteroid injection of a trigger finger. Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05032508 (First posted August 27, 2021 last update November 4, 2022 URL https//clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05032508).</p>