COMPARISON BETWEEN ANTISHIVERING EFFECTS OF MEPERIDINE AND METHADON

Post anesthesia shivering induces a number of complications, which causes a variety of therapeutic approaches. Meperidine has been used as a drug of choice for the treatment of the complications in some patients while it is forbidden for some (e.g. those who use M.A.O inhibitors). In a randomized clinical trial 50 cases were selected and divided randomly in two groups, the first group received 25 mg meperidine (I.V) while the second group received methadone 2.5 mg/ 70kg (I.V) The anti- shivering effects were compared in the recovery room. The first group had a mean age of 33.76 years and second group 34.4 years. The mepridine group had a mean axillary temperature of 36.1 degrees ˚C while the second group had a mean of 36.08 degrees centigrade (P.value > 0.05) Also, the two group had shivering relief 84%, and respectively. The meperidine group had shivering relief after 30 seconds and the methadone group after 60 seconds, but these differences were not statistically significant (P.value > 0.05). The above results suggest similar anti- shivering effects for the two drugs and so, the two drugs could be used interchangeably.