Prevention of propofol injection pain: Comparison between lidocaine and ramosetron.

BACKGROUND: Propofol causes a high incidence of pain during intravenous (IV) injection. The aim of this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded study was to determine whether pre-treatment with IV ramosetron, used for prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), would reduce propofol-induced pain as an equivalent to lidocaine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hundred and twenty American Society of Anesthesiologists grade (ASA) I and II patients were randomly assigned into three groups (40 in each). Group N received 2 ml of 0.9% saline, Group L received 2 ml of lidocaine, and Group R received 2 ml of ramosetron. Mid forearm was occluded manually before injection and released after 1 min and then propofol was injected over 5 s. Patients were observed and questioned 15 s later if they had pain in the arm and pain was scored on a four-point scale: 0 = no pain, 1 = mild pain, 2 = moderate pain, and 3 = severe pain. Unpaired Student's t-test and chi-square test/Fisher' exact test were used to analyze results. RESULTS: The incidence of pain in groups N, L, and R were 65, 35, and 30%, respectively. Pain was reduced significantly in the groups L and R (P < 0.05). Two patients each in Groups L and R (5% each) had moderate and severe pain. This difference in pain was statistically insignificant, but when compared to Group N (25 and 30%, respectively) it was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment with ramosetron 0.3 mg and lidocaine 40 mg are equally effective in preventing pain from propofol injection.

Perioperative management of patient with Bombay blood group undergoing mitral valve replacement.

Bombay red blood cell phenotype is an extremely rare blood type for which patients can receive only autologous or Bombay phenotype red blood cells. We report a case of stenotic mitral valve with Bombay phenotype who underwent minimal invasive right lateral thoracotomy for the replacement of the mitral valve. A male patient from Bangladesh presented to the hospital with New York Heart Association III symptoms. His medical evaluation revealed severe mitral valve stenosis and mild aortic valve regurgitation. The patient received erythropoietin, intravenous iron succinate and folic acid tablets. Autologous blood transfusion was carried out. The mitral valve was replaced with a prosthetic valve successfully. After weaning off from cardiopulmonary bypass, heparinisation was corrected with protamine. Post-operatively, the patient received autologous red blood cells. The patient recovered after 1-day of inotropic support with adrenaline and milrinone, and diuretics and was discharged on the 5(th) post-operative day.