The Effects of Prophylactic Intravenous Lignocaine vs Vecuronium on Succinylcholine-Induced Fasciculation and Postoperative Myalgia in Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery at Debre Markos Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia, 2022: Prospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND: The incidence and severity of succinylcholine-induced fasciculation and postoperative myalgia have been shown to decrease when vecuronium bromide or preservative-free 2% plain lignocaine hydrochloride is administered before induction. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of defasciculation dosages of vecuronium bromide and 2% preservative-free plain lignocaine hydrochloride in decreasing succinylcholine-induced fasciculation and postoperative myalgia in patients undergoing elective surgery. METHODS: A total of 110 participants were included in a prospective observational cohort study that was located in an institution. Patients were randomly assigned to (Group L) and (Group V) based on the prophylactic measures they received from the responsible anesthetist utilizing preservative-free 2% plain lignocaine and defasciculation dose of vecuronium bromide, respectively. We recorded, socio-demographic variables, fasciculation, postoperative myalgia, total number of analgesics administered following surgery in 48hrs, and kind of procedure. The descriptive data were compiled using descriptive statistics. Categorical and continuous data were evaluated, respectively, using chi-square statistics and the independent sample t-test. To compare the prevalence of fasciculation and myalgia across the various groups, the Fischer exact test was performed. A 0.05 p-value was deemed statistically significant. RESULTS: This study found that the incidence of fasciculation in the groups receiving the defasciculation doses of vecuronium bromide and preservative-free 2% plain lignocaine hydrochloride was 14.6% and 20% (p-value 0.007), respectively. The rate of mild-to-moderate postoperative myalgia in the vecuronium bromide group was 23.7%, 30.9%, and 16.4% in the first, 24th, and 48th hours, respectively (p-value 0.001), as opposed to 0%, 37.3%, and 9.1%, respectively (p-value 0.008) in the group receiving preservative-free 2% plain lignocaine hydrochloride. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment with 2% plain lignocaine that is preservative-free is more efficient than vecuronium bromide at reducing the frequency and intensity of postoperative succinylcholine-induced myalgia, whereas defasciculation dose of vecuronium was more effective prevention of succinylcholine-induced fasciculation.