Comparison of three analgesic drug regimens with twelfth subcostal nerve block for pain control during extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is the first-line treatment in the majority of cases of upper urinary tract stones. Since its introduction, attempts have been made to establish the ideal accompanying analgesic method to enable the application of shock waves of adequate duration and intensity for efficacious stone fragmentation. An open, randomized, prospective, longitudinal, comparative, and experimental clinical study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of subcostal nerve block with lidocaine, comparing it in combination with tramadol or diclofenac for pain control during ESWL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy patients of both sexes were included in the study. Thirty-five were men and 35 were women, all above 18 years of age, with kidney stones or ureteral stones smaller than 20 mm. The patients were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: Group 1 (24 patients) Twelfth subcostal nerve block with 10 ml of lidocaine 2%, 5 min before ESWL. Group 2 (25 patients) Twelfth subcostal nerve block with 10 ml lidocaine 2% + intramuscular diclofenac sodium 45 min before ESWL. Group 3 (21 patients) Twelfth subcostal nerve block with 10 ml of lidocaine 2% + tramadol at 1 mg/Kg of weight, 45 min before ESWL. The visual analog scale (VAS) for pain was applied at minutes 10, 20, and 30 of the procedure. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were reported by the ANOVA test for comparing the mean pain values between the three groups at minutes 10, 20, and 30 of the ESWL. There were no adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: Even though there were no statistically significant differences between the three groups, the analgesic regimen of twelfth subcostal nerve block with lidocaine 2%, alone, was as efficacious as its combination with other analgesics and therefore can be used as a sole analgesic method during ESWL.

Treatment of reno-ureteral colic by twelfth intercostal nerve block with lidocaine versus intramuscular diclofenac.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Renal colic is one of the most intense pains known to humans. Standard treatment usually consists of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opiates, but they do not always provide optimum efficacy and speed in relieving the pain. For more than 25 years, our hospital has been employing twelfth subcostal nerve block. The objective of the present study was to compare the efficacy of subcostal nerve block with lidocaine versus intramuscular diclofenac in renal colic management. METHODS: Sixty patients of both sexes, above the age of 18 years, and presenting with renal colic were randomly selected for the study. The visual analog scale was applied prior to the treatment and at minutes 1, 3, 5, 30, and 45 after the application of the twelfth nerve block or the intramuscular administration of diclofenac. RESULTS: A total of 60 patients, 35 women and 25 men, were included in the study. There were statistically significant differences in the mean scores for pain from minute 1 to minute 45. There were no adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: Twelfth Subcostal nerve block with lidocaine is an efficacious, safe, inexpensive, and very fast-acting medication for pain control related to renal colic. These characteristics make it superior to diclofenac.