The effectiveness of meperidine and doxapram in relieving postoperative shivering: A randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Author(s): Alireza Pournajafian, Reza Salehi, Saeid Amniati, Amirhosein Zarisfi, Nasim Masoudi

Background: Various medications with different efficacy and safety are used to relieve postoperative shivering. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness and speed of treatment of shivering after general anesthesia with meperidine and doxapram.

Methods: This randomized double-blinded clinical trial was performed on patients with ASA I-II and aged 20 years and 60 years with shivering during the first 10 minutes of recovery after general anesthesia following routine orthopedic or urology surgery. Patients were randomly assigned to receive meperidine (25 mg, intravenously) or doxapram (0.7 mg/kg, intravenously) in recovery and the shivering score was recorded every minute for 10 minutes.

Results: In the two groups receiving doxapram and meperidine, the mean time of shivering relief (shivering score less than 1) was 4.54 minutes ± 2.04 minutes and 4.50 minutes ± 2.08 minutes, respectively with no difference (p=0.945). In both groups a significant decrease in the shivering score was observed during ten minutes, but there was no difference between the trend of changes in mean pain score in the two groups (p=0.489). Conclusion: Doxapram at a dose of 0.7 mg/kg is as effective as 25 mg of meperidine in controlling shivering after general anesthesia.

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