The Effect of N-acetylcysteine on postoperative pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a randomized clinical trial

Postoperative pain is one of the most common complications following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Because the majority of the analgesic drugs including opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have many side effects, using drugs with lesser side effects is beneficial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of N-acetylcysteine on the pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
In a randomized clinical trial, in two university-affiliated teaching hospitals in Babol City (Shahid Beheshti and Shahid Yahyanezhad Hospitals), Iran, from August 2015 to March 2015, a total number of 38 patients with age of 20-50 years, who were candidates for laparoscopic cholecystectomy with American Society of Anesthesiologists Class-I were chosen and randomly assigned into two groups. The night before operation, 1200 mg oral N-acetylcysteine is given to intervention group. Also, they received 600 mg IV N-acetylcysteine in the morning before operation. In the control group, two vitamin C effervescent tablets as placebo were given at night before operation and 3 ml sterile water as placebo was injected in the morning of operation. Amount of pethidine consumption and the changes in hemodynamic in two groups was recorded and analyzed at 24 hours after operation.
The average of patients age was not significant different between two groups (P=0.23). Average of pain score in placebo group was 3.5 and in N-acetylcysteine group was 2.7 that it was not significant difference between two groups (P=0.06). Average of pethidine consumption in placebo group was 52 mg and in N-acetylcysteine group was 29 mg in 24 hours, that the difference was statistically significant between two groups (P=0.01)
As the results of the study, it can be concluded that the anti-inflammatory effects N- acetylcysteine can inhibit the function of lipoproteins and prostaglandins, reduced glutathione peroxidase and dismutase has been restored and can be used to treat pain or analgesic dose reduction. In this study the N-acetylcysteine has reduced pain after laparoscopy and analgesic dose of mepridine.