Anesthesthesia?

[MAMom]

Trying to educate someone....My understanding is that anesthesthesia is often not used (or not given enough time to work) before circ in hospitals, even though it is "supposed to be used".

Can someone point me to resources that back this info up?

TIA!

[boingo82]

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/491035
(let me know if it wants you to log in)

In a 1999 policy statement, the AAP recommended that "adequate analgesia should be provided if neonatal circumcision is performed." Yet, a review of medical charts done four years later "found that of 107 circumcisions performed, analgesia was used in only eight infants," Dr. Kumar said.

That rate was so low that Dr. Kumar said he has done additional analysis using both pharmacy records and nursing records to determine if "physicians were actually using more analgesia, but not documenting the results." The additional analysis indicated that "analgesia was ordered in 35% to 40% of procedures and nursing records indicated it was used in 29%," he said. "So, I estimate that analgesia is actually used in about a third of procedures."

[calngavinsmom]

Here is another article...a bit dated though:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.or.../full/101/6/e5

"Of the respondents, 956 (54%) perform at least one circumcision per month (35% of PEDs; 60% of FPs; 70% of OBs). Of the physicians performing circumcisions, 45% use anesthesia (71% of PEDs; 56% of FPs; 25% of OBs)."

Good luck!
Tara

[coloradoalice]

My question is do those stats include the use of a pacifier with sugar on it, because it seems most places I see that listed as satisfactory type of pain management for circumcision.

[DahliaRW]

And I know some consider "anasthesia" to be the ELMA cream which is topical, takes an hour to work, and I would think would not numb anything but the surface which really is no pain relief at all.