Post-tonsillectomy pain and bupivacaine, an intra individual design study.
OBJECTIVE
To compare whether an individual could appreciate the pain relief, if any, in either one of his/her tonsillar fossa topically suffused with a local anaesthetic (bupivacaine).


METHODS
Randomized controlled trial.


METHODS
Department of ENT/Head and Neck Surgery, Combined Military Hospital, Peshawar, from January to June 2007.


METHODS
Forty-six patients of either gender, aged 10-42 years undergoing tonsillectomy for recurrent tonsillitis were enrolled for this study. At the end of surgery, having secured haemostasis, one tonsillar fossa was randomly packed with a gauze piece soaked in 3 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine for 5 minutes, while the other was not. Effects of postoperative analgesia were assessed using visual analogue scale (VAS) up to 8 hours.


RESULTS
Majority of the patients (85%, n=39) failed to experience an appreciable pain relief on the side of local anaesthetic (bupivacaine) application (p=0.006).


CONCLUSIONS
Topical application of local anaesthetic (bupivacaine) confers no appreciable pain control in post-tonsillectomy patients.
Hydri
Amer Sabih
AS
Department of ENT, Combined Military Hospital, Pano Aqil. draamerhydri@gmail.com
Malik
Sher Muhammad
SM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012008:Recurrence; D014068:Tonsillectomy; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D002045:Bupivacaine