Unnikrishnannair Muralikrishnan
BACKGROUND
Pain is derived from the Latin word “poena”, which means penalty or punishment.1 The relief of pain is one of the paramount goals of medical science. The surgical operation causes extensive tissue damage, thereby causing stress response, which peaks during the postoperative period and has major effects on almost all body systems.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Patients aged between 30 to 50 years scheduled for surgery below the umbilicus were systematically randomised into 2 groups. Both the groups received bupivacaine with transdermal nitroglycerine patch, only group 1 received neostigmine. Both the group were assessed for vitals, duration of analgesia, number of analgesia requirement and adverse effects.
RESULTS
The mean age was 36.1 ± 10.4 in group I and 35.9 ± 9.22 years in group II. There was no statistically significant difference in the vitals. Duration of analgesia was longest in group I and the difference between two groups was statistically significant. Requirement of rescue analgesic in 1st 24 hrs. was least in group I.
CONCLUSION
Addition of 5 mcg neostigmine alone to bupivacaine does not produce much difference in duration of analgesia and analgesic requirement.