Salbutamol for analgesia, low-tech randomisation and cannulation numbing: June 2025 Primary Survey

Can salbutamol be used be used to relieve pain in renal colic patients? Starting off this month's episode, a randomised trial seeks to find the answer. Then a topic of interest for anyone seeing patients with a phobia of needles, namely a study comparing coolant spray with topical anaesthetic cream for reducing pain from intravenous cannulation. Next, randomisation is a necessary tool for many trials, but what if you want something that's less high-tech, and more high-street? That's right, scratch cards! And finally, fear of not making the right decision dominates when it comes to  paramedic conveyance to the paediatric emergency department. "We just take them in," "parents know best," and "if only they could talk" are some of the revealing quotes found in the study wrapping up this month.

 

Read the highlights: June 2025 Primary Survey

• Salbutamol for analgesia in renal colic: a prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled phase II trial
• Comparison of the effects of vapocoolant spray and topical anaesthetic cream (lidocaine–prilocaine) on pain of intravenous cannulation: a randomised controlled trial
• Letter: Allocation concealment using scratchcards in an emergency department drug trial
• Factors influencing paramedic conveyance decisions when attending children with minor head injury: a qualitative study

The EMJ podcast is hosted by:

Dr. Richard Body, EMJ Deputy Editor, University of Manchester, UK (@richardbody)
Dr. Sarah Edwards, EMJ Semior Associate Editor and Social Media Editor, Royal Derby Hospital, UK (@drsarahedwards)

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