Effect of Topical Bupivacaine on Post-Tonsillectomy Pain Relief in Children Referred to Ahvaz Imam Khomeini Hospital in 2013

Abstract

Background: Tonsillectomy is a common pediatric surgery followed by a severe, sometimes debilitating, postoperative pain. Many drugs can be used to control pain. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of topical bupivacaine in controlling postoperative pain. Patients and Methods: This clinical trial was performed on 60 elective tonsillectomy patients in Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ahvaz, in 2013. The patients were randomly divided into two groups of A and B; Group A received topical bupivacaine just before the operation, while Group B received placebo (distilled water). The results were statistically analyzed using SPSS-19. Results: Patients aged 4 to 13 years. The amount of postoperative pain was obviously less in the bupivacaine group than the other group. The mean time of postoperative fluid intake was lower in group A (bupivacaine) than Group B (placebo) (P < 0.001). The mean pain score at 24 hours after the operation was lower in the bupivacaine group than the placebo group (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Considering that tonsillectomy is one of the most common surgeries in children and produces a lot of pain, using a low risk medicine such as bupivacaine to recover child as soon as possible seems reasonable.