Benzocaine Versus Placebo Spray for Pain Relief at Hysterosalpingogram

Phase 4

Completed

Conditions: Pain Relief
Analgesia

Interventions: Drug: Saline spray
Drug: Benzocaine

Registration Number: NCT01925469

Lead Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania

Brief Summary: The objective of this study is to assess the utility of benzocaine spray versus a placebo spray in alleviating pain during and after hysterosalpingogram (HSG).

Detailed Description: Hysterosalpingography (HSG) is a radiographic evaluation during which a radio-opaque medium is inserted through the cervical canal in order to define the size and shape of the uterine cavity and patency of the fallopian tubes. The utility of HSG is an integral part of the evaluation of infertile women for intrauterine pathology. In some cases, HSG can be a painful procedure. Poor pain control can limit the quality of the study due to inability to complete the procedure in cases of extreme discomfort. There is little consensus regarding pain control during HSG, although a number of approaches have been studied. Patients undergoing HSG are typically advised to premedicate with ibuprofen, which is consistent with the current standard of care. This study will assess pain control using a benzocaine spray (in addition to ibuprofen) in patients undergoing routine HSG at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. All patients who present to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for HSG will be eligible for the study. Benzocaine spray versus a placebo spray will be applied to a tenaculum (a surgical hooklike instrument used to grasp and hold the cervix). The tenaculum will then be applied to the cervix prior to HSG and pain relief will be assessed at 3 time intervals: 0, 5, and 30 minutes. The primary outcome is the mean difference in patients pain score and will be measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) which has been shown to be a valid and reliable scale. The secondary outcome will assess patient satisfaction in each group using a validated patient satisfaction survey. The study design will be prospective, randomized, placebo controlled, and double blinded.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: Female

Target Recruitment: 30

Inclusion Criteria

All women who present to Penn Fertility Care over the age of 18 years old

Exclusion Criteria

Patients under the age of 18
Pregnant patients
Patients with a history of hypersensitivity to benzocaine
Patients with a history of asthma or bronchitis

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Saline spray	Saline spray	A saline placebo spray will be used in the placebo group.
Benzocaine	Benzocaine	Benzocaine spray (14%), an FDA approved drug, will be used to assess whether this provides additional pain relief at time of hysterosalpingogram.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Pain Score	Pre-procedure (Baseline) and procedure (Time 0)	The primary outcome is the difference in pain score using a validated visual analog scale before the procedure, which is designated as the pre-procedure (or baseline) pain score to the maximum pain during procedure (designated as time 0) These two pain scores will be subtracted and the change in pain score will be reported. The validated visual analog scale allows patients to report pain on a scale of 0 to 100 mm long. At the beginning and at the end, there are two descriptors representing extremes of pain (i.e. no pain = 0 and extreme pain = 100). The patient rated her pain by making a vertical mark on the 100-mm line. The measurement in millimeters was converted to the same number of points ranging from 0 to 100 points. There are no subgroups.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Patient Satisfaction	30 minutes post procedure	The patient's satisfaction will be assessed using a validated satisfaction scale 30 minutes post procedure.
Change in Pain Score From Pre-procedure to 5 Minutes Post Procedure.	5 minutes	The patients pain scores will also be assessed at 5 minutes post procedure and the change in pain scores from baseline to this time points will be analyzed. The pain scores will be subtracted to obtain the change in pain score