COMPARISON BETWEEN ALFENTANIL, PETHIDINE AND PLACEBO IN THE TREATMENTOF POST-ANESTHETIC SHIVERING

We have compared the effects of pethidine, alfentanil and placebo in t he treatment of post-anaesthetic shivering. Ninety patients who shiver ed after routine surgery were allocated randomly to receive normal sal ine (n=30), alfentanil 250 mu g (n=30) or pethidine 25 mg (n=30). Afte r 10 min, 26 patients had stopped shivering in the pethidine group whi ch was significantly more than the incidence in the two other groups ( placebo=7; alfentanil=12) (P<0.0002). Alfentanil was not significantly different from normal saline in affecting shivering. We conclude that alfentanil 250 mu g was not effective in the treatment of post-anaest hetic shivering.