Nebulised lidocaine v placebo before nasogastric tube insertion in the emergency department*
| Outcome | Lidocaine | Placebo | Difference (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| *CI defined in glossary. | |||
| †100 mm scale, where 0 = no discomfort and 100 = severe discomfort. | |||
| ‡5 point Likert scale, where 1 = minimal difficulty and 5 = extreme difficulty. | |||
| Patient discomfort (mean visual analogue scale score in mm)† | 37.7 | 59.3 | 21.6 (5.3 to 38.0) |
| Nurses’ perceived difficulty of tube insertion (median score)‡ | 2 | 2 | 0 (−1 to 1) |
| Nasal bleeding | 17% | 0 | 17% (3.5 to 31) |
| Vomiting | 10% | 0 | 10% (−0.7 to 21) |
| Chest tightness and dyspnoea | 3.4% | 0 | 3.4% (−3.2 to 10) |
| Inability to pass tube | 6.9% | 9.5% | −2.6% (−18 to 13) |
