Comparative study of doxapram and pethidine in the treatment of shivering following general anesthesia in adult: A double blind clinical trial

Considering the importance of post operative shivering several different studies had been performed for its treatment which revealed controversial results. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of pethidine and doxapram on the treatment of shivering following general anaesthesia. In this randomized double blind clinical trial 60 patients with post operative shivering in recovery room were assigned randomly into 3 groups: normal saline, pethidine (25mg), and doxapram (1.5mg/kg). Induction and maintenance of anesthesia were the same in the three groups. Shivering was treated in 95%, and 65% of pethidine and doxapram groups respectively (P<0.05). But shivering continued in 100% of the patients in normal saline group (P<0.05). Pethidine is more effective than doxapram and normal saline in the treatment of post operative shivering.