Medicines To Help With Pain During Tests & Procedures

Key points about medicines to help with pain during tests and procedures

• numbing medicine numbs the skin and tissues underneath the skin
• numbing medicine may burn a little bit at first
• sedation involves using medicine, or a combination of medicines, to help your child relax or sleep through the test or procedure

Numbing the skin before tests or procedures

Your child may have a numbing medicine before a test or procedure. This medicine may be a cream, spray, patch, or another device placed on the skin.  

The medicine numbs the skin and tissues underneath the skin.  For many tamariki (children), this is enough numbing medicine for a needle procedure.

After the medicine has numbed the surface of the skin, sometimes your child will have another numbing medicine. A doctor will inject this medicine a little bit deeper into the tissue using a small needle. This numbing medicine may burn a little bit at first, but after 1 to 2 minutes, the tissue will feel numb all the way down to the bone.

Sedation for tests or procedures

If your child needs more than local anaesthesia (numbing the skin and tissues), your healthcare team will talk with you about sedation.

Sedation involves using medicine, or a combination of medicines, to help your child relax or sleep through the test or procedure.  

There are different levels of sedation, ranging from a feeling of calm, to sleepiness, to being completely asleep (general anaesthesia). The level of sedation will depend on:

• your child's age
• your child's condition
• your child's level of anxiety around the procedure anxiety
• hospital guidelines 

The goal of all levels of sedation is to keep your child comfortable and free from pain. Talk with your healthcare team to learn more about what type of sedation is best for your child.