Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, May 1995; 88(5): 264-7.

Three commonly available local anaesthetics were compared, in a controlled trial, for use before venous cannulation. The pain of application of the local anaesthetic, the pain of cannulation, and the rate of successful cannulations were compared.

Drug Safety, April 1997; 16(4): 279-87

Since its introduction, eutectic lidocaine-prilocaine cream ('EMLA')1 has been found to be an effective topical anaesthetic agent, with a high degree of efficacy, particularly for venepuncture and venous cannulation, and an impressive tolerability profile. Reports of adverse effects are remarkable for their rarity.

Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, April 1999; 120(4): 458-9.

Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of inflammatory and neoplastic head and neck masses has become a widely used procedure in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. Using both subjective (patient perception) and objective (complication rate, accuracy) criteria, this prospective study evaluated patients undergoing FNA with and without anesthesia.