Radha Sundari Mantha, Rakesh Chintalapudi, Vijaya Krishna Vinnakota, Potnuru Vinnakota, Praveen Kumar Kumili
BACKGROUND Propofol is an ideal intravenous anaesthetic agent which provides smooth induction and recovery, but its adverse effect is considerable pain on injection of unknown cause. Various drugs like lignocaine, tramadol, ketorolac, opioids, metoclopramide can be co-administered to alleviate pain. The purpose of this study is to compare the analgesic effect of lignocaine and tramadol in ameliorating propofol injection pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this prospective placebo controlled double blinded study, one hundred and fifty patients under general anaesthesia with propofol as inducing agent of ASA grade 1 and grade 2, were randomly allocated into three groups (A, B, C). In all cases, the drugs were administered slowly one minute prior to the injection of propofol and pain scores were measured immediately. Verbal responses for pain were also recorded. RESULTS Results were analysed by Z-test. p value <0.05 was considered to be significant. Incidence of pain was 16% in Group A, 26% in Group B and 86% in Group C. The difference in the incidence of pain in Group A (lignocaine group) and in Group B (Tramadol Group) was not statistically significant (p Value >0.05). However, both the drugs effectively reduced the incidence of pain on propofol injection when compared to placebo group. (p value <0.05), by Z test (Z>1.96). CONCLUSION There is no statistically significant difference between lignocaine and tramadol with regard to their efficacy in reducing propofol injection pain. Both the drugs (Lignocaine 60 mg and Tramadol 50 mg), can be given one minute prior to the propofol injection and they could prevent the pain of propofol injection in patients undergoing general anaesthesia, as compared to the placebo group.
