The Journal of Family Practice, September 2001 · Vol. 50, No. 9

OBJECTIVE: Our objectives were to determine if a 50% dextrose solution would reduce the percentage of circumcision procedure time a neonate spent crying by 50%, compared with water, and whether it would be similar to a dorsal penile nerve block (DPNB).

STUDY DESIGN: This was a randomized placebo-controlled blinded clinical trial.

POPULATION: We included 71 patients who were recruited from the inpatient nursery of a military community hospital over a 5-month period.

OUTCOME MEASURE: The primary outcome was the percentage of the procedure time neonates spent crying. Secondary outcomes were the percentage change in heart rate from baseline, the percentage of oxygen saturation, and the score from the modified behavioral pain scale.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the oral glucose and water groups among any of the pain-related measurements. The DPNB group had significantly lower pain-related measurements (P <.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Concentrated glucose administered orally does not provide significant analgesia for neonatal circumcision. The use of a dorsal penile nerve block significantly reduced objective measurements of pain and physiologic stress in infants undergoing circumcision.