EFFECTIVENESS OF WOUND INFILTRATION WITH LOCAL ANESTHETIC AGENTAFTER ABDOMINAL SURGERY

Abstract

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of local infiltration of wound with 20 ml of 0.5% bupivicain after

abdominal surgery in term of delay in postoperative analgesic demand.

Material and Methods: This case control study was carried out at the Surgical Unit of City Hospital,

Kohat Road Peshawar from January 2004 to January 2005. Two hundred patients, who underwent

abdominal surgery selected by non-probability convenient sampling, were randomized by odd or even

numbering into two equal groups: Group1 (the study group) and Group 2 (the control group). In group 1

patients (n=100) the wound and surrounding tissues were infiltrated with 20 ml of 0.5% bupivicain and in

Group 2 patients (n-100) the wound was not infiltrated. Post-operative pain was assessed with visual

analogue scale (VAS).

Results: Patients in Group 1 were more comfortable during the postoperative period and average delay

in analgesic demand was 5.1± 0.8 hour as compared to a 2.4± 1.1 hour in group-2. Eight (8%) patients in

the group 1 required no supplementary analgesia at all. Patients in study group-1 were mobilized much

earlier (8.8 ± 1.2 hours) as compared to control group-2 (18.1 ± 1.5 hours). There was no significant

difference in the incidence of wound related complications between the two groups. Mean hospital stay in

group-1 was 51.20 ± 2.5 hours as compared to 73.20 ± 3.7 hours in group-2.

Conclusion: Wound infiltration with bupivacain is an effective method of minimizing postoperative pain.