Purpose: The development of a topical analgesia protocol to improve pain management for pediatric patients undergoing nonurgent painful procedures is described.
Summary: Leadership from the departments of pediatrics, neonatology, obstetrics and gynecology, nursing, pharmacy, child life, and phlebotomy were chosen to develop and implement a new protocol for topical analgesia use for nonurgent painful procedures in pediatric patients. A review of the published literature on pain management in neonates, infants, children, and adolescents led to the replacement of lidocaine 2.