Effect of paracetamol pre-treatment on Propofol injection pain among surgical patients

Abstract

Background: Propofol injection pain is often a cause of distress for patients. This study was conducted to find the incidence of Propofol induced pain and the efficacy of Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) in the prevention of Propofol injection pain among surgical patients at a tertiary hospital.
Methods: The study was a prospective, double blind randomized clinical trial carried out at the Jos University Teaching Hospital main theatre. Consenting American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I or II patients scheduled to undergo general anaesthesia for elective surgery were allocated into one of two study groups of 35 each. Group I  was the Paracetamol (drugamol^® ) group, who received 2mg/kg of intravenous Paracetamol while the control group (group II) received 5ml of 0.9% saline with venous occlusion. The venous occlusion was released 2 minutes after injecting the study drug and one-fourth of the total calculated dose (2.5mg/kg) of  Propofol (Pofol 1% ^®Dongkook Pharmaceutical) was delivered through the iv line over a period of five seconds and the patients assessed for pain on a 4-point scale.

Results: The two groups were comparable in demographic characteristics and ASA classification. Twenty-one (60.0%) patients in the control group and 1 (2.9%) patient in the Paracetamol group experienced pain on injection of Propofol, p = 0.000. There were no significant haemodynamic variations between the two groups during the study period.
Conclusion: Paracetamol when applied with tourniquet significantly attenuated Propofol injection pain in our adult patients with no significant haemodynamic variations.
Key words: Paracetamol, Propofol, Injection pain