RESUMO
To compare the effectiveness of intravenous lignocaine and tramadol in reducing the incidence and severity of pain on propofol injection in a prospective randomized open labeled placebo controlled parallel study. A total of 120 patients admitted for different elective general surgical procedures were randomized and divided in four groups. Group I received intravenous (i.v.) propofol 2mg/kg only, while group II, III and IV received 1% lignocaine 0.5mg/kg, tramadol 1mg/kg ,normal saline 2ml (n=30 in each group) respectively with venous occlusion for 1 minute, followed by administration of propofol 2mg/kg into a dorsal hand vein. Pain was assessed on a four point scale (0=none, 1=mild, 2=moderate, 3=severe) during propofol injection. Both incidence and severity of pain was calculated in all the four groups. The incidence of pain in group I, II, III and IV was 100.0%, 30.0%, 26.7%, and 96.7% respectively with statistical significant reduction in group 11 and group 111 ( P 0.000). Mean pain score showed statistically significant difference between group I(1.9+0.4) and group II (0.3+0.5), group I (1.9+0.4) and group III (0.3+0.4), group II (0.3+0.5), and group IV(1.9+0.7), group III (0.3+0.4) and group IV(1.9+0.7) with P= 0.000. There was also significant difference in severity of pain between group I and II, group I and III, group II and IV, group III and group IV (P 0.000). Lignocaine and tramadol are equally effective in reducing both incidence and severity of pain due to propofol injection. Tramadol being as effective as lignocaine in prevention of propofol induced pain, may replace lignocaine, thereby minimizing risk to the population, as lignocaine is well known to have cardiorespiratory depressant property.