INCIDENCE OF PAIN ON PROPOFOL INJECTION AND EFFICACY OF ADDITION OF LIGNOCAINE OR SELECTING BIG VEIN OR BOTH COMBINED IN REDUCING IT: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL

Abstract

Objective: To find out the frequency of pain due to propofol injection and to assess the efficacy of addition of lignocaine to propofol, selecting big vein in antecubital fossa or both combined in reducing pain.
Material and Methods: Incidence of injection pain with propofol was noted in 200 unpremedicated patients undergoing tonsillectomy. They were divided into 4 groups of 50 patients each. The patients were randomly allocated by card method to one of the four groups. Group A received plain propofol in a small vein on the dorsum of hand. Group B received 10 mg lignocaine added to propofol before administration into a vein on the dorsum of hand. Group C received propofol in a vein in the antecubital fossa and group D received lignocaine 10 mg added to propofol prior to administration in vein in the antecubital fossa.
Results: Incidence of pain was 58% with plain propofol injected in small vein, 10% when lignocaine was added prior to injection, 8% when injected in large vein and 6% when lignocaine was added before injecting propofol in large vein.
Conclusion: Addition of lignocaine to propofol before injection into a small vein and administration of plain propofol into a large vein were equally and significantly effective (P value<0.001) in reducing the incidence of pain. Addition of lignocaine to propofol into a large vein further reduced the incidence as compared to plain propofol but this was not statistically significant (P value >0.05).