Comparison of ropivacaine and lidocaine for paracervical block during surgical abortion.
BACKGROUND
The study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of ropivacaine and lidocaine as paracervical analgesia for elective abortion by vacuum aspiration.


METHODS
This single-center double-blinded randomized study tested two different agents for paracervical analgesia in elective abortions: lidocaine (n=57) or ropivacaine (n=57). We assessed intra- and postoperative pain according to both a visual analogical scale rated from 0 to 10 and postoperative analgesic requirements.


RESULTS
Mean intraoperative pain was significantly lower in the ropivacaine group (5.23+/-2.72 vs. 4.18+/-2.77, p=.048.). There was no significant difference in mean assessed pain at the end of the intervention or at 2 or 4 h afterward. The rate of subjects requiring additional postoperative analgesia did not differ significantly between the lidocaine and ropivacaine groups [8/59 (13.5%) vs. 6/59 (10.1%), p=.33].


CONCLUSIONS
Intraoperative pain appears to be less with ropivacaine than with lidocaine. Nonetheless, the clinical difference was slight, as was therefore the benefit of using ropivacaine for paracervical block in elective abortions.
Agostini
Aubert
A
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, La Conception University Hospital, 147 Boulevard Baille, Marseille Cedex 05, France. aubert.agostini@ap-hm.fr
Provansal
Magali
M
Collette
Emmanuelle
E
Capelle
Mariane
M
Estrade
Jean Philippe
JP
Cravello
Ludovic
L
Gamerre
Marc
M
D000028:Abortion, Induced; D000328:Adult; D000577:Amides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001340:Autonomic Nerve Block; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000294:innervation; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000077212:Ropivacaine; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014619:Vacuum Curettage
D000577:Amides; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000077212:Ropivacaine; D008012:Lidocaine