Preemptive Effect of Pethidine, Ketamine and Ondansetron on Post-Operative Shivering in Patients undergoing Abdominal Surgery with General Anesthesia

Shivering is one of the most common post-operative complications, which, not only puts the patients to discomfort but may also lead to secondary complications such as suture releasing. Thus, several treatments like pethidine, ketamine and ondansetron were recommended for its prevention, but the three drugs are not compared in any previous studies. The aim of this study was to compare the preemptive effect of pethidine, ketamine and ondansetron on the prevention of post-operative shivering in patients undergoing abdominal surgery with general anesthesia.
In a clinical trial study, during 2014-2015 in Alzahra hospital, Isfahan, Iran, 105 patients were selected and randomly divided in three groups of 35. The first, second and third groups received 0.5 mg/kg pethidine, 0.5 mg/kg ketamine and 8mg ondansetron, respectively, before abdominal surgery. Incidence of post-operative shivering was measured and compared between the three groups.
Findings: None of the patients in pethidine group suffered from post-operative shivering but 3(8.6%) of ketamine and 3 (8.6%) of ondansetron had post-operative shivering (P = 0.240). Shivering intensity in 3(8.6%) of ketamine and 2(5.7%) of ondansetron were mild, also 1(2.9%) of ondansetron group had moderate shivering and frequency distribution of post-operative shivering was not statistically difference between the three groups (P = 0.370).
All three groups of pethidine, ketamine and ondansetron have positive effect on prevention of post-operative shivering in abdominal surgeries and can be used based on patients’ physical status, diagnosis of anesthesiologist and surgeon, cost and drug availability.