Effect of intramuscular hyoscine-n-butyl bromide on fallopian tube spasm and pain perception during andafter hysterosalpingography in infertile women: A randomized single-blind controlled clinical trial

Hysterosalpingography plays an important role in diagnostic work-up and treatment planning for infertile women. This procedure is usually uncomfortable and painful. The present study plans to investigate the effect of intramuscular Hyoscine-N-Butyl Bromide (HBB) on fallopian tube spasm and pain perception during and after hysterosalpingography (HSG) in infertile women.

This randomized single-blind controlled clinical trial (IRCT2017021132455N2) was conducted on infertile women scheduled for HSG in one radiology clinic affiliated to Arak University of Medical Sciences between July and August 2017. Patients were selected by convenience sampling and were randomly assigned to HBB (n=50) and a control group (n=50). Women received 20 mg/1cc HBB intramuscularly in the intervention group, 30 minutes before the procedure. Women in the control group did not receive any medication. The patients were requested to complete the Numeric Pain Rating Scale after injection of the dye, and also 30 minutes following the end of the HSG. Presence or absence of tubal spasm was determined after checking the radiographic images. For the data analysis using SPSS version 18, descriptive statistics, and analytical tests such as independent sample t-test, Mann- Whitney test, chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests and logistic regression and ANCOVA were used.

Statistically significant differences were not observed in pain scores between the HBB and the control groups at the point of dye injection and 30 minutes after ending the HSG (p>0.05). Also, tubal spasm in the HBB group was lower than in the control group, but the differences were not statistically significant between the two groups (p=0.37).

The use of intramuscular HBB before HSG has no advantage in reducing tubal spasm and the induced pain during dye injection and 30 minutes after the HSG procedure. Thus, we don’t recommend HBB use before the HSG in order to relief from pain and spasm.