COMPARISON OF THE EFFICACY OF INTRAVENOUS LIGNOCAINE WITH COMPOUND LIDOCAINE/PRILOCAINE CREAM IN PREVENTING POST EXTUBATION COUGH IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING GENERAL ANAESTHESIA FOR LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL

Abstract

Background: Post-extubation cough is a common complication following general anesthesia, impacting patient comfort and recovery. This study compares the efficacy of intravenous (IV) lignocaine versus topical lidocaine/prilocaine cream in preventing post-extubation cough in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of IV lignocaine compared to compound lidocaine/prilocaine cream in reducing post-extubation cough.

Methods: In this randomized controlled trial conducted at the Anesthesia Department, Mayo Hospital Lahore, 72 patients were randomly assigned to Group A (IV lignocaine) or Group B (lidocaine/prilocaine cream) using computer-generated randomization. Following standardized general anesthesia protocols, the absence of post-extubation cough was recorded as the primary outcome. Data were analyzed using SPSS v23, with group comparisons performed via chi-square test (p ≤ 0.05 considered significant).Results: Group B demonstrated significantly higher efficacy than Group A (66.7% vs. 38.9%, p = 0.01). Subgroup analyses showed superior efficacy in Group B among females (71.4% vs. 28.6%, p = 0.008), patients with ASA I (57.1% vs. 42.9%) and ASA II status (80.0% vs. 20.0%, p = 0.05), those with BMI ≥25 kg/m² (65.6% vs. 34.4%, p = 0.006), and for surgeries lasting <90 minutes (61.5% vs. 38.5%, p = 0.03).

Conclusion: Topical lidocaine/prilocaine cream is significantly more effective than IV lignocaine in preventing post-extubation cough in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy, offering a promising intervention to enhance postoperative recovery.