Local anesthetic reduces the pain of colposcopic biopsies: A randomized trial

Objective: This study was undertaken to determine whether administration of local anesthetic reduces pain associated with colposcopically directed cervical biopsies. Study Design: Fifty-six patients undergoing colposcopically directed cervical biopsies were randomly selected prospectively to receive a 1% lidocaine injection or no injection before the biopsy procedure. Pain was assessed by using a 10-cm visual analog scale at various points during the procedure. Data were analyzed with the Student t test. Results: Injection of lidocaine resulted in a reduction in pain scores for cervical biopsies (4.004 to 1.166, P< .001), endocervical curettage (5.757 to 3.900, P = .0018), and overall procedure scores (4.911 to 3.145, P = .0013). Conclusion: This pilot study demonstrates that injection of local anesthetic at the site of colposcopically direct cervical biopsies decreases the pain perceived by patients. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003;188:1164-5.)