A Comparative Study on the Effectiveness and Onset of Action of Ondansetron and Meperidine in Post-Anesthesia Shivering Treatment

Postoperative shivering is a common complication after recovering from anesthesia, and due to its subsequent side effects, its prevention and treatment is of special importance for anesthetists. In this study, the efficacy and onset of action of meperidine (which is a potential cause of hemodynamic and respiratory complications) in treatment of post-anesthesia shivering are compared with those of ondansetron.

 In this clinical trial study, patients with post-anesthetic shivering during recovery were randomly divided into two groups of meperidine (n=27) and ondansetron (n=29). Their shivering scores were recorded every minute for up to 10 minutes. After this time, if patients did not improve, meperidine was used in both groups to treat shivering.

The study obtained its ethical approval from the Research Ethics Committee of Iran University of Medical Sciences and has been registered in Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT201109224969N3).

 The number of patients completely treated at 10 minutes was higher in the meperidine group (P= 0.05), and the decrease in mean shivering score occurred faster in meperidine group (P= 0.047)

 Although ondansetron has been shown to be effective in treatment of postoperative shivering, the effectiveness and onset of action of meperidine was clearly better.