Effectiveness of intrauterine anesthesia on pain management during IUD insertion: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Rebecca Fonseca De Azevedo, Ingryd de Almeida Silva, Ana Carolina Mendes Dominguez et al.
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In 30 seconds
This meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of intrauterine anesthesia (IUA) versus saline infusion for pain management during IUD insertion in nulliparous and parous women. The analysis included six randomized controlled trials with 651 participants. Results indicated that pain during IUD insertion was significantly lower with IUA (SMD -0.47; 95% CI -0.90 to -0.03; p = 0.04).
Key findings
- Pain during IUD insertion was significantly lower with IUA compared to saline (SMD -0.47; 95% CI -0.90 to -0.03; p = 0.04).
- Subgroup analysis showed significant pain reduction with lidocaine (p = 0.0002) but not with other anesthetics (p = 0.27).
- Pain after insertion did not differ significantly between IUA and saline groups (p = 0.05).
- All studies included had a low risk of bias.
Why it matters
Effective pain management during IUD insertion is crucial for patient comfort and satisfaction. This study suggests that intrauterine anesthesia, particularly lidocaine, may enhance the experience for women undergoing this procedure, potentially increasing the acceptability of long-acting reversible contraception.