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Propofol infusion rate does not affect local pain on injection.

Grauers, A ; Liljeroth, Elisabeth LU and Åkeson, Jonas LU (2002) In Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica 46(4). p.361-363
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Local pain at the site of an i.v. injection of propofol is a well-known problem, particularly in infants. This randomised investigator-blinded crossover study was designed to assess the effect of the i.v. bolus infusion rate on propofol-induced pain at the site of injection. METHODS: Thirty unpremedicated patients scheduled for ear-nose-throat or plastic surgery at Malmö University Hospital, Sweden, were given two consecutive 2.0 ml injections of propofol 10 mg/ml (Diprivan, AstraZeneca, Sweden/UK), at different infusion rates (0.2 or 1.0 ml/s), immediately before induction of general anesthesia. Half of the patients (n=15) received the first bolus of propofol over 2 s and the second bolus over 10 s, and the other half (n=15)... (More)
BACKGROUND: Local pain at the site of an i.v. injection of propofol is a well-known problem, particularly in infants. This randomised investigator-blinded crossover study was designed to assess the effect of the i.v. bolus infusion rate on propofol-induced pain at the site of injection. METHODS: Thirty unpremedicated patients scheduled for ear-nose-throat or plastic surgery at Malmö University Hospital, Sweden, were given two consecutive 2.0 ml injections of propofol 10 mg/ml (Diprivan, AstraZeneca, Sweden/UK), at different infusion rates (0.2 or 1.0 ml/s), immediately before induction of general anesthesia. Half of the patients (n=15) received the first bolus of propofol over 2 s and the second bolus over 10 s, and the other half (n=15) had their injections in reversed order. After each injection, the patient was asked by an investigator to indicate pain intensity on a visual analog scale (VAS) and to report the times of the appearance, maximum point and disappearance of pain. The injections were given approximately 2 min apart. The investigators scoring pain intensity, as indicated by the patients on a 10-point numerical rate scale, were blinded to the order in which the injections were given, as were the patients themselves. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence (both 86%) of intensity (median; 25th; 75th percentiles, in VAS units: 3.1; 1.0; 5.3 and 3.3; 1.4; 5.0, respectively) or duration (66+/-31 and 73+/-26 s, respectively) of pain between the faster (1.0 ml/s) and slower (0.2 ml/s) bolus infusion rates of propofol studied. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the i.v. bolus infusion rate of propofol does not influence drug-induced local pain on injection, at least not within the infusion rate interval studied. Therefore, adjusting i.v. injection speed does not seem to be a clinically useful tool for reducing the intensity or duration of propofol-induced pain at the site of administration. (Less)
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publication status
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keywords
Anesthetics, Adult, 80 and over, Intravenous : administration & dosage, Intravenous : adverse effects, Cross-Over Studies, Double-Blind Method, Human, Infusions, Female, Intravenous, Middle Age, Male, Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures, Pain : etiology, Pain Measurement : drug effects, Propofol : administration & dosage, Propofol : adverse effects, Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Aged, Adolescence
in
Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
volume
46
issue
4
pages
361 - 363
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • wos:000175366500005
  • pmid:11952433
  • scopus:0036234056
ISSN
0001-5172
DOI
10.1034/j.1399-6576.2002.460405.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2e869841-3801-453e-8808-b0f94c978891 (old id 107650)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:41:49
date last changed
2022-05-18 19:36:03
@article{2e869841-3801-453e-8808-b0f94c978891,
  abstract     = {{BACKGROUND: Local pain at the site of an i.v. injection of propofol is a well-known problem, particularly in infants. This randomised investigator-blinded crossover study was designed to assess the effect of the i.v. bolus infusion rate on propofol-induced pain at the site of injection. METHODS: Thirty unpremedicated patients scheduled for ear-nose-throat or plastic surgery at Malmö University Hospital, Sweden, were given two consecutive 2.0 ml injections of propofol 10 mg/ml (Diprivan, AstraZeneca, Sweden/UK), at different infusion rates (0.2 or 1.0 ml/s), immediately before induction of general anesthesia. Half of the patients (n=15) received the first bolus of propofol over 2 s and the second bolus over 10 s, and the other half (n=15) had their injections in reversed order. After each injection, the patient was asked by an investigator to indicate pain intensity on a visual analog scale (VAS) and to report the times of the appearance, maximum point and disappearance of pain. The injections were given approximately 2 min apart. The investigators scoring pain intensity, as indicated by the patients on a 10-point numerical rate scale, were blinded to the order in which the injections were given, as were the patients themselves. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence (both 86%) of intensity (median; 25th; 75th percentiles, in VAS units: 3.1; 1.0; 5.3 and 3.3; 1.4; 5.0, respectively) or duration (66+/-31 and 73+/-26 s, respectively) of pain between the faster (1.0 ml/s) and slower (0.2 ml/s) bolus infusion rates of propofol studied. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the i.v. bolus infusion rate of propofol does not influence drug-induced local pain on injection, at least not within the infusion rate interval studied. Therefore, adjusting i.v. injection speed does not seem to be a clinically useful tool for reducing the intensity or duration of propofol-induced pain at the site of administration.}},
  author       = {{Grauers, A and Liljeroth, Elisabeth and Åkeson, Jonas}},
  issn         = {{0001-5172}},
  keywords     = {{Anesthetics; Adult; 80 and over; Intravenous : administration & dosage; Intravenous : adverse effects; Cross-Over Studies; Double-Blind Method; Human; Infusions; Female; Intravenous; Middle Age; Male; Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures; Pain : etiology; Pain Measurement : drug effects; Propofol : administration & dosage; Propofol : adverse effects; Support; Non-U.S. Gov't; Aged; Adolescence}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{361--363}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica}},
  title        = {{Propofol infusion rate does not affect local pain on injection.}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/2599649/623598.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1034/j.1399-6576.2002.460405.x}},
  volume       = {{46}},
  year         = {{2002}},
}