Anesth Pain Med.  2019 Apr;14(2):202-207. 10.17085/apm.2019.14.2.202.

The efficacy of vitamin C on postlaparoscopic shoulder pain: a double-blind randomized controlled trial

• Moon S
• Lim SH
• Cho K
• Kim MH
• Lee W
• Cho YH

• KMID: 2447970
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.17085/apm.2019.14.2.202

Abstract

BACKGROUND
This study evaluated the effect of vitamin C on post-laparoscopic shoulder pain (PLSP) in patients undergoing benign gynecological surgery during the first 72 h.
METHODS
Sixty patients (aged 20 to 60 years, with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification I or II) scheduled for elective laparoscopic hysterectomy were enrolled in this study. The vitamin C group (Group C) received 500 mg of vitamin C in 50 ml of isotonic saline infusion intravenously twice a day from the day of surgery to the third day after surgery. Patients in the saline group (Group S) received the same volume of isotonic saline over the same period. Post-operative analgesic consumption, pain scores of the incision site and the shoulder, and the incidence of PLSP were all evaluated at 1, 6, 24, 48, and 72 h following surgery.
RESULTS
Cumulative post-operative fentanyl consumption was significantly less in Group C at 24 and 48 h after surgery (P = 0.002, P = 0.012, respectively). The pain intensity of PLSP was also significantly lower in Group C 24 h after the operation (P = 0.002). Additionally, the incidence of PLSP was significantly lower in Group C 24 and 48 h after the operation (P = 0.002, P = 0.035, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS
Perioperative intravenous administration of vitamin C (500 mg, twice a day) reduced post-operative analgesic consumption and significantly lowered the pain intensity and incidence of PLSP.

Keyword

Ascorbic acid; Gynecology; Laparoscopy; Pain, postoperative; Shoulder pain

MeSH Terms

Administration, Intravenous
Ascorbic Acid*
Classification
Female
Fentanyl
Gynecologic Surgical Procedures
Gynecology
Humans
Hysterectomy
Incidence
Laparoscopy
Pain, Postoperative
Shoulder Pain*
Shoulder*
Vitamins*
Ascorbic Acid
Fentanyl
Vitamins

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Cumulative fentanyl consumption. Mean cumulative injected volume of the intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) solution in the four groups. The error bars show standard deviation. Group S: saline group, Group C: vitamin C group. *Indicates significant difference between saline group and vitamin C group.

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