Addition of low-dose sufentanil to ropivacaine for reducing shivering and visceral traction pain during cesarean section

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of low-dose sufentanil for preventing shivering and visceral traction pain during cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized, controlled study. A total of 112 full-term parturients who underwent elective caesarean delivery were randomly divided into two groups. Group R received 0.75% isobaric ropivacaine intrathecally and group RS received 0.75% isobaric ropivacaine plus 5 µg sufentanil intrathecally. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the maximum sensory block time, motor block time, duration of the surgery, and heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and blood oxygen saturation before and 1, 5, and 10 minutes after spinal anesthesia, and at the end of the surgery between the two groups. Shivering was significantly more common in group R (n = 30) than in group RS (n = 8). The incidence of visceral traction pain in group R (46.43%) was significantly higher than that in group RS (14.29%). There was no significant difference in the newborns’ Apgar scores between the groups. CONCLUSION: Adding low-dose sufentanil to ropivacaine can significantly reduce the incidence of shivering and visceral traction pain after spinal anesthesia.