[Evaluation of the duration of postoperative pain control obtained with bupivacaine injection into the tonsillar region in children who underwent tonsillectomy].

OBJECTIVES: In this study the effectiveness of postoperative pain control and its probable duration, in the group of pediatric tonsillectomy patients after peroperative application of long acting local anesthetic agent bupivacain to tonsillar fossa is searched.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Our study is a prospective, double-blind, case-control study. A total of 80 children consisting of 50 cases (24 girls, 26 boys; mean age 8.4 ± 2.1 years; range 6 to 12 years) and 30 controls (16 girls, 14 boys; mean age 8.1 ± 1.7 years; range 6 to 12 years) undergoing tonsillectomy were included in this study. Before tonsillectomy 2 ml (0.5 mg/ml) adrenaline-free bupivacain (Marcain, AstraZeneca) injected both of tonsillar fossa in study group, and normal saline injected with the same technique to control group. Face scale is used for pain measurement in both groups. Pain scores were measured at 2, 6, and 24 hours, seventh day and during the first oral intake postoperatively in both groups.

RESULTS: We found a significant difference in postoperative second and sixth hours value, when compared control and study groups (p<0.001). No significant difference is found in postoperative 24th hours and first week between study and control group (p>0.001). In our study preincisional bupivacain infiltration makes significant reduction in postoperative pain according to placebo at postoperative second and sixth hours. In both groups at postoperative 24th hours and first week we ascertain significant pain reduction according to postoperative second and sixth hours, but no difference is found between study and control group.

CONCLUSION: Intraoperative preincisional bupivacain injection is useful in postoperative pain control at early period of time in children undergoing tonsillectomy. But it has no effect in pain reduction after 24 hours.