For no particular reason I can think of I bumped into this RCT of “Intraurethral Lidocaine for Urethral Catheterization in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial” and thought, initially, “Well that’s a waste of money and effort and quite unreasonably uncomfortable for the poor little things that got un-anesthetised”. (My very first job was on an adult urology firm, and after popping in a few more three-way irrigation catheters than anyone should need to do I came to the vicarious experiential position that anaesthetic would be a good thing for catheterisation.)

But I read on.

Turns out that compared with just plain, un-medicated lubrication, popping in some anaesthetic doesn’t make it better. Indeed, it might make it worse – as it stings when the lidocaine goes down – and the catheter is equally as uncomfortable.

Which makes me wonder – what have you turned up in your reading / learning that made you question perfectly sensible assumptions?

• Archi