Objective: Cystoscopy is a common urologic procedure. Analgesics are often used to reduce any pain associated with this procedure. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy in reducing pain and the cost-effectiveness of two forms of lidocaine gel in patients undergoing cystoscopy.
Methods: In this double-blind, randomized clinical trial, 77 male patients who were referred for double J removal, urethral dilatation, or cystoscopy were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups: Dispogel and Cathejell. All patients received 20 mL of intraurethral lidocaine gel 2% and cystoscopy was performed 5 minutes thereafter. The primary outcome was the pain score (visual analogue scale, VAS) during and 5 minutes after cystoscopy.
Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the VAS scores, blood pressure, and pulse rate in the groups in either observation period. No patient required additional anesthetic agents or sedatives for insufficient pain relief.
Conclusion: The results of this study show that the analgesic efficacy of Dispogel and Cathejell in the treatment of pain during and after elective cystoscopy was the same, but Dispogel was more cost-effective.
Keywords: 2% lidocaine gel; Cathejell; Dispogel; cost-effectiveness; cystoscopy; elective surgery; pain; pain score.