Pain Experience Using Lidocaine Adrenaline Tetracaine (LAT) Gel Versus Lidocaine Infiltration for Laceration Repair in Adults

NCT07480135 | Completed Phase 4

• 1 other identifier: EC-2020-146
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 70
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This prospective comparative study evaluates pain experience in adult patients undergoing laceration repair in the emergency department using either topical lidocaine-adrenaline-tetracaine (LAT) gel or lidocaine infiltration as local anaesthesia. Lidocaine infiltration is the standard anaesthetic technique for wound repair but can cause significant pain during injection. LAT gel is a needle-free topical anaesthetic that is widely used in paediatric patients but has been less studied in adults. Adult patients presenting with simple lacerations requiring suturing are allocated to receive either LAT gel or lidocaine infiltration according to the clinical judgement of the treating physician. Pain is measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS) during anaesthetic administration, during testing of anaesthetic effectiveness, and during suturing. Additional variables include wound characteristics, patient characteristics, and the need for additional anaesthesia. The study aims to evaluate whether LAT gel provides comparable pain control while reducing pain during anaesthetic administration.

Conditions

Lacerations; Wound Repair; Acute Traumatic Wounds; Pain Management

Keywords

Topical anaesthesia; LAT gel; Laceration repair; Local anaesthesia; Lidocaine infiltration; Pain measurement; Emergency department; Adult trauma

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Pain during suturing

  Pain experienced during wound suturing measured using a 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS).

  During suturing procedure

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Pain during anaesthetic administration

  At time of anaesthetic administration

• Pain during testing of anaesthetic effectiveness

  After waiting period for anaesthesia (30 minutes LAT gel / 5 minutes lidocaine)

Other Outcomes (2)

• Need for additional anaesthesia

  During wound preparation prior to suturing

• Wound characteristics

  At time of emergency department presentation

Study Arms (2)

LAT Gel

EXPERIMENTAL

Patients receive topical lidocaine-adrenaline-tetracaine (LAT) gel applied directly into the wound prior to suturing.

Drug: Lidocaine-Adrenaline-Tetracaine (LAT) Gel

Lidocaine Infiltration

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Patients receive infiltrative local anaesthesia prior to suturing.

Drug: Lidocaine infiltration

Interventions

Lidocaine-Adrenaline-Tetracaine (LAT) Gel DRUG

LAT gel (lidocaine 4%, adrenaline 0.1%, tetracaine 0.5%) is applied directly into the wound at a dose of approximately 0.5 mL per centimetre of wound length and covered with an occlusive dressing for 30 minutes prior to suturing.

LAT Gel

Lidocaine infiltration DRUG

Subcutaneous infiltration of lidocaine 1% is administered locally around the wound approximately 5 minutes prior to suturing.

Lidocaine Infiltration

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age ≥ 18 years
• Presentation to the emergency department with a simple laceration requiring suturing
• Laceration length less than 7 cm
• Ability to provide informed consent
• Ability to report pain using a visual analogue scale (VAS)

You may not qualify if:

• Suspected tendon injury or nerve injury
• Wounds located on mucosal surfaces
• Wounds located on ears, nose, or genital area
• Known allergy to local anaesthetic agents
• Pregnancy
• Severe cardiac or pulmonary disease
• Drug intoxication or altered mental status
• Sedation with nitrous oxide
• Psychiatric disorder interfering with pain reporting
• Language barrier preventing informed consent or pain assessment

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Vrije Universiteit Brussel: lead
• Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Department of Emergency Medicine, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, and Research Group on Emergency and Disaster Medicine

Jette, Brussels Capital, 1090, Belgium

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Adler AJ, Dubinisky I, Eisen J. Does the use of topical lidocaine, epinephrine, and tetracaine solution provide sufficient anesthesia for laceration repair? Acad Emerg Med. 1998;5(2):108-12.

  BACKGROUND

• Vandamme E, Lemoyne S, van der Gucht A, de Cock P, van de Voorde P. LAT gel for laceration repair in the emergency department: not only for children? Eur J Emerg Med. 2017;24(1):55-9.

  BACKGROUND

• Ernst AA, Marvez-Valls E, Nick TG, Mills T, Minvielle L, Houry D. Topical lidocaine adrenaline tetracaine (LAT gel) versus injectable buffered lidocaine for local anesthesia in laceration repair. West J Med. 1997;167(2):79-81.

  BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Lacerations; Agnosia; Emergencies; Wounds and Injuries

Interventions

Gels

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Perceptual Disorders; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Disease Attributes; Pathologic Processes

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Colloids; Complex Mixtures; Dosage Forms; Pharmaceutical Preparations

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: phase 4
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: MD

Model Details: Prospective comparative study conducted in the emergency department of Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel. Adult patients with simple lacerations requiring suturing receive either topical lidocaine-adrenaline-tetracaine (LAT) gel or lidocaine infiltration based on the clinical judgement of the attending physician.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 14, 2026
• First Posted: March 18, 2026
• Study Start: April 1, 2021
• Primary Completion: May 22, 2021
• Study Completion: May 31, 2021
• Last Updated: March 18, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, CSR
• Time Frame: Data will be available beginning 6 months following publication of the study results and will remain available for up to 5 years after publication.
• Access Criteria: Data will be available to researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal for secondary analyses. Proposals should be directed to the corresponding author. Access will be granted after review and approval by the study investigators and the institutional review board when required. Data will be shared in a de-identified format in accordance with institutional and data protection regulations.

Locations

BE (1)