Comparing the analgesic effect of intravenous paracetamol and mepridine in controlling post operative pain following hernioraphy

Pediatric patients are unable to express their pain by words therefore we should properly manage this topic. NSAIDs and opioids have side effects therefore intravenous paracetamol with fewer side effects has been advocated recently. We aimed to compare the analgesic effect of paracetamol with meperidine in pediatric patients scheduled for unilateral hernioraphy.

Eighty patients were randomly allocated in two groups (paracetamol and meperidine). Both groups received a same anesthesia protocol. Paracetamol 15 mg/kg and meperidine 1mg/kg were intravenously injected at the beginning of surgery. Analgesia was assessed by OPS criteria postoperatively for 6 hours. Those with higher scores received morphine rescue therapy and were excluded. Pain scores and those who required morphine were compared in the two groups.

Age and gender were not statistically different between groups (3.1±4.8 yr in paracetamol and 2.9±4.6 in meperidine group; p=0.85. Male to female ratio was 57.5/42.5 in both groups). Pain score was not statistically different in recovery and the first hour postoperatively, however scores were higher in paracetamol group thereafter. More patients required morphine as rescue therapy in paracetamol group compared to Meperidine (10, 3, 9, 15 and 3 patients in paracetamol group received morphine from the second hour until 6th hour postoperative in ward, while 7 patien in Meperidine group received rescue therapy in their 6th hour postoperative in ward).

Intravenous Meperidine reduced postoperative pain more effectively than paracetamol in pediatric patients undergoing unilateral hernioraphy.