COMPARISON OF PROPACETAMOL WITH PETHIDINE FOR POSTOPERATIVE PAIN RELIEF

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the analgesic effect of a single bolus I.V dose of propacetamol given before induction of anaesthesia and compare this effect with that of I.V pethidine also given before induction. Another objective was to study the opioid sparing effect of cetamol by using in combination with pethidine, after surgical incision had been made. Sixty adult patients of ASA I or II status were included and divided into three groups. Group A received propacetamol 2gm intravenously just before induction , in group B IV bolus dose of pethidine 0.75 mg/kg was given just before induction and group C received combination of pethidine 0.4mg/kg and propacetamol 2gm intravenously 10 minutes after the incision. After awakening from anaesthesia patients were observed for sixty minutes in recovery for pain assessment by the pain scales and the pain scores by VAS & NRS were analysed statistically by using student’s t test and Mann-Whitney test. Pain scores by verbal response scale were analysed by Chi square test. p 0.3, NRS>0.2). The patients who received combination of pethidine and propacetamol required longer time (p<0.05) for supplementary analgesia than the patients who were given propacetamol alone. Propacetamol 2 gm given IV before induction had no advantage over pethidine. Significant benefit of pre-emptive analgesia was not evident in first 60 min after recovery from anaesthesia.