Objective: To evaluate intraperitoneal (IP) lidocaine administration and intravenous (IV)
lidocaine infusion for postoperative pain control after cesarean section.
Study design: prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
Patients and methods: Initially, 165 pregnant full-term females, indicated to be
underwent elective cesarean delivery for various indications were randomized equally
to either group C (control, IP and IV saline), group IP (intraperitoneal lidocaine
administration), or group IV (intravenous lidocaine infusion).Five patients were
excluded from each group for various reasons. The outcome measures were
postoperative pain scoring, total pethidine consumption and the need for postoperative
analgesia.
Results: Significantly reduced visual analogue scale scores after 4h, total pethidine
consumption in 24 hours, time of ambulation, onset of pain relief and the need for
rescue analgesia in groups IV and IP compared with controls. Postoperative nausea
and vomiting were less frequently noted in groups IP and IV than in group C, but this
trend was not statistically significant.
Conclusion: The IP lidocaine instillation and IV lidocaine infusion significantly reduced
postoperative pain and opioid consumption in women underwent elective cesarean
section, compared with control infusions.