The Effect of Intravesical Diluted Bupivacaine on Catheter-Related Bladder Discomfort in Young and Middle-Aged Male Patients During Postanaesthetic Recovery

OBJECTIVE: Catheter-related bladder discomfort (CRBD) that manifests as agitation and bladder hyperactivity is a common problem in young male patients. Local anaesthetics are typically recommended for this problem. Hence, this study was conducted to determine the effect of intravesical diluted bupivacaine on CRBD in young male patients during postanaesthetic recovery. METHODS: This double-blinded randomised clinical trial included 68 consecutive patients, aged 20–60 years, who underwent urinary catheterisation during surgery and anaesthesia at a university hospital during 2017–2018. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 50 ml of intravesical diluted (0.2%) bupivacaine (n=37) or normal saline (n=31). The incidence and severity of CRBD were then evaluated in PACU and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: In this study, 16.2% of patients in the bupivacaine group and 83.9% in the saline group had discomfort at arrival in the recovery room, exhibiting a significant intergroup difference (p=0.0001). Moreover, after 15–20 min, the incidence of CRBD was 16.2% and 90.3% in the bupivacaine and normal saline groups, respectively, which again demonstrated a significant statistical difference (p=0.0001). In addition, the severity of CRBD was lower in the bupivacaine group, during both periods (p=0.005). The saline group reported significantly higher use of pethidine and midazolam (p=0.005). CONCLUSION: It may be concluded that intravesical diluted bupivacaine can significantly decrease the incidence and severity of CRBD in young male patients during recovery from anaesthesia. Therefore, the use of this method is highly recommended.