Efficacy of ephedrine in the prevention of vascular pain associated with different infusion rates of propofol

CONTEXT: Vascular pain is a frequent and hypotension is most important complications of propofol administration. AIMS: The goal of this study is to evaluate frequency of vascular pain during rapid and slow injection of propofol and also effect of ephedrine for decreasing of vascular pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After approval of local ethical committee, 120 patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists status I (ASA I), who were candidates for cataract surgery, were divided randomly into three groups. The first group received 20 mg of lidocaine, and propofol 1% at 1 ml per 5 seconds (slow injection). The second and third groups received propofol at 10 ml per 5 seconds without lidocaine (rapid injection) and also in the third group, 10 mg of ephedrine were injected at first and vascular pain were evaluated with 5-point scale. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Data were analyzed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) v16, Chi-square test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Kruskel-Wallis. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Demographic characteristics of the three groups were similar. The vascular pain was 52.5%, 40%, and 27.5% in first, second, and third group, respectively. The injection pain was more severe in the slow injection (P = 0.025), but was the same between two rapid groups (P = 0.76). Heart rate and blood pressure changes were similar between all groups (P = 0.45 and P = 0.58, respectively). CONCLUSION: Rapid propofol injection induced less vascular pain compared with slow injection, but 10 mg ephedrine was not more effective.