https://doi.org/10.5812/aapm.9246

Post Tonsillectomy Pain: Can Honey Reduce the Analgesic Requirements?

authors:

avatar Peyman Boroumand 1 , avatar Mohammad Mahdi Zamani 2 , avatar Masoumeh Saeedi 1 , avatar Omid Rouhbakhshfar 1 , avatar Seyed Reza Hosseini Motlagh 1 , avatar Fatemeh Aarabi Moghaddam 3 , *

Department of Otolaryngology, Zahedan University of Medical Science, Zahedan, Iran
Department of Anesthesiology, Firoozgar Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
Students Scientific Research Center, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine: Vol.3, issue 1; 198-202
published online: June 30, 2013
article type: Research Article
received: November 22, 2012
accepted: February 23, 2013

how to cite: Boroumand P, Zamani M M, Saeedi M, Rouhbakhshfar O, Hosseini Motlagh S R, et al. Post Tonsillectomy Pain: Can Honey Reduce the Analgesic Requirements?. Anesth Pain Med. 2013;3(1): 198-202. https://doi.org/10.5812/aapm.9246.

Abstract

Background:

Tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures performed worldwide, especially for children. Oral honey administration following tonsillectomy in pediatric cases may reduce the need for analgesics via relieving postoperative pain.

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of honey on the incidence and severity of postoperative pain in patients undergoing tonsillectomy.

Patients and Methods:

A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study was performed. One hundred and four patients, who were older than eight, and were scheduled for tonsillectomy, were divided into two equal groups, honey and placebo. Standardized general anesthesia, and postoperative usual analgesic, and antibiotic regimen were administrated for all patients. Acetaminophen plus honey for the honey group, and acetaminophen plus placebo for the placebo group were given daily. They began to receive honey or placebo when the patients established oral intake.

Results:

The difference between acetaminophen and acetaminophen plus honey groups was statistically significant both for visual analogue scale (VAS), and number of painkillers taken within the first three postoperative days. The consumption of painkillers differed significantly in every five postoperative days. No significant difference was found between groups regarding the number of awaking at night.

Conclusions:

Postoperative honey administration reduces postoperative pain and analgesic requirements in patients after tonsillectomy. As the side effects of honey appear to be negligible, consideration of its routine usage seems to be beneficial along with routine analgesics.

Full Text

Full text is available in PDF