Metoclopramide and its effect on postoperative pain

ABSTRACT

This study was a trial to evaluate the effect of metoclopramide on postoperative pain, in the early postoperative period, in patients undergoing elective surgical operations. In this study, induction of anesthesia was with propofol to give rapid recovery. In a randomized doudle-blined study, patients received either placebo [n=23] or metoclopramide [n=23], 0.4 mg/kg i.v., at the end of surgery. Postoperative pain score was assessed on a visual analogue scale [VAS]. The VAS-pain scores showed a highly significant difference between the two groups with smaller pain scores in the metoclopramide group as compared with the control group [P < 0.01] for up to 2 hours following surgery. In conclusion, the results of this study revealed a significant analgesic effect of metoclopramide postoperatively for a period of 2 hours