INTRAPERITONEAL LIGNOCAINE FOR PAIN RELIEF AFTER TOTAL ABDOMINAL HYSTERECTOMY

In this preliminary randomized study, we have measured pain scores at rest and on movement, 24 and 48 h after operation in 19 control patien ts, who received 50 ml of saline i.p., and in 20 test patients, in who m 50 mi of saline solution containing lignocaine 200 mg and adrenaline 1:500 000 were instilled into the peritoneal cavity after total abdom inal hysterectomy. We found that there was no difference in linear ana logue scores for nausea, pain on movement or morphine consumption afte r operation between the two groups, but pain scores at rest were signi ficantly lower in the lignocaine group at 24 and 48 h compared with th e saline group. In the lignocaine group, blood sampling over a 3-h per iod revealed a mean maximum serum concentration of 0.4 mu g ml(-1) at 3 h and a highest concentration in any patient of 0.87 mu g ml(-1).