Examining the efficacy of intravenous ibuprofen and meperidine for preventing post-operative shivering after laparoscopic cholecystectomy with general anesthesia

Postoperative shivering is a common complication that can lead to increased postoperative complications. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of intravenous ibuprofen and meperidine in preventing shivering following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A total of 120 patients, aged 20-70 and classified as ASA I–II, were enrolled in this triple-blind clinical trial. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: ibuprofen (800mg IV), meperidine (30 mg), or placebo (normal saline 2 ml), administered 30 minutes before the end of surgery. The occurrence of postoperative shivering was assessed and recorded at regular intervals (0, 5, 10, 15, 30, and 60 minutes after surgery). Additionally, postoperative pain levels were measured using a visual analog scale (VAS), sedation levels were evaluated using the Ramsay Sedation Scale (RSS), and the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was documented. The prevalence and severity of postoperative shivering were not statistically significant between groups. The VAS was significantly lower in the meperidine group than the ibuprofen group throughout the study (p <0.001). The VAS was significantly lower in the ibuprofen group than the placebo group at 0 and 15 minutes after surgery. Although the incidence of nausea was slightly higher in the meperidine group, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.75). Sedation scores were consistently lower in the ibuprofen group and higher in the meperidine group compared to the other groups (p<0.0001) The meperidine group had a significantly higher sedation score indicative of deep sleepiness (score of 4) than the other groups. Intravenous ibuprofen demonstrated comparable efficacy to meperidine in controlling shivering. Additionally, the incidence of nausea, vomiting, and sleepiness was lower in the intravenous ibuprofen group, suggesting it is a potential alternative to meperidine.