Comparison of peritonsillar infiltration of tramadol and lidocaine for the relief of post-tonsillectomy pain.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported the use of peritonsillar infiltrations of local anaesthetics and/or locally active analgesic drugs for the relief of post-tonsillectomy pain, with variable results in terms of quality and duration of analgesia. We aimed to compare the effects of peritonsillar infiltration of lidocaine versus tramadol versus placebo on post-tonsillectomy pain.

METHODS: Sixty patients over the age of 10 years undergoing bilateral elective tonsillectomy under general anaesthesia were randomised into three groups. The first group received peritonsillar infiltration of tramadol, the second 2 per cent lidocaine and the third normal saline. In all groups, peritonsillar infiltration was carried out after tonsillectomy but prior to tracheal extubation. Post-operative comparisons were made to assess the quality of pain control and the patients' analgesic requirements.

RESULTS: Peritonsillar infiltration of tramadol provided an analgesic effect comparable to that of lidocaine in the first 6 hours post-operation, as reflected by visual analogue scale pain scores and opioid requirements, which were lower compared with the placebo group.

CONCLUSION: Peritonsillar infiltration of tramadol provided pain control in the first 6 hours post-tonsillectomy which was comparable to that of lidocaine.