Background:Use of analgesics, especially opioids, before delivery during cesarean section for preventing hemodynamic changes after endotracheal intubation and postoperative analgesia is limited due to their adverse effects on the neonate.Objectives:The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of intravenous acetaminophen (paracetamol) in blunting hemodynamic responses to endotracheal intubation and postoperative pain in parturient undergoing cesarean section by general anesthesia.Patients and Methods:Eighty parturients undergoing cesarean section by general anesthesia were randomly divided to receive either 15 mg/kg intravenous paracetamol (n = 40) or normal saline (n = 40) fifteen minutes before endotracheal intubation. Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and pulse rates were compared at baseline and after intubation at one minute interval for five minutes between the two groups. The patients were also compared for postoperative pain intensity and analgesic requirement.Results:Patients in the saline group experienced more pain in the recovery room (VAS 7.0 ± 1.24 vs. 6.15 ± 2.27; P value = 0.041) and required more fentanyl intraoperatively (150 µg vs. 87.7 ± 75; P value < 0.01) and meperidine postoperatively (12.88 ± 20.84 mg vs. 1.35 ± 5.73; P value = 0.002) than the paracetamol group. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) changes were similar after intubation in the both groups (P value = 0.71), however, pulse rates showed greater changes following intubation in the saline group (P value = 0.01).Conclusions:Intravenous acetaminophen administered before caesarean section reduced tachycardia after intubation, narcotic drugs administration during and after the operation and reduced pain in PACU.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.