Postoperative Analgesic Effect of Wound Site Infiltration with Bupivacaine versus Ropivacaine - A Randomised Clinical Trial at VIMSAR, Burla

Abstract

BACKGROUND Post-operative pain is a ubiquitous finding following any surgeries. It has physiological and psychological effect in patients. The source and degree of nociceptive stimulation differ among individuals and type of surgeries. In this regard, multimodal analgesic approach has been encouraged for post-operative pain relief, local infiltration of wound site being simplest among them. This procedure reduces the sensitisation and consequent hyperalgesia by cutting down afferent impulses from site of incision and injury. METHODS This is a single blind randomized clinical trial conducted at surgery main operation theatre, surgery indoor wards for a duration of 2 years. 60 patients posted for routine surgeries under general anaesthesia were taken as study subjects and were randomly divided into 2 groups of 30 each. Before skin closure, skin wound site was infiltrated at 1ml/cm according to the following schedule - Group B: received Inj. Bupivacaine plain (0.2 %), Group R: received Inj. Ropivacaine plain (0.2 %). All the patients were followed up for 24 hours and post-operative pain score parameters (Visual Analogue Score) were taken at 1 hour, 2-hour, 6-hour, 10 hour and 24 hours. The time duration till the requirement of first dose of rescue analgesia was noted down. Data was analysed using chi-square test, student t - test and statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS Hemodynamic stability was more with Ropivacaine as the fall in blood pressure and heart rate was not drastic. Duration of analgesia was longer with Ropivacaine. Analgesia was better with Ropivacaine. Both the drugs caused analgesia of significant extent. No cardiotoxicity or any other adverse reaction was observed with either drug in this study. CONCLUSIONS Ropivacaine is having longer duration of analgesia and better analgesic effect than bupivacaine. KEYWORDS Postoperative, Analgesic, Wound, Infiltration, Bupivacaine, Ropivacaine