Comparing the Effectiveness of Antishivering Action of Meperidine Alfentanil, Sufentanil, Fentanyl and Tramadol After General Anesthesia

Numerous pharmacological interventions had been proposed to treat postoperative shivering. Many opioid derivatives widely used to treat shivering. Meperidine is a potent opioid which also frequently uses to control shivering after general anesthesia. There are some controversies about the effects of opioid derivatives to control postoperative shivering. This study was a double blind study to compare the effects of fentanyl, sufentanil, alfentanil , tramadol and meperidine on post general anesthesia shivering. This prospective double blinded and randomized clinical study was performed to compare the antishivering effects among meperidine ,tramadol, fentanyl, sufentanil and alfentanil, in post general anesthesia shivering. One hundred and sixty patients who had shivering Grade III and IV were randomly allocated to one of five groups for intravenous treatment: group M (n=32) received meperidine 0.4 mg/kg, group F (n=32) received fentanyl 0.4?/kg, group S (n=32) received sufentanil 0.1?/kg, group T (n=32) received tramadol 0.25mg/kg and group A (n=32) received alfentanil 4?/kg. The response rate, treatment time, minimal and maximal time to treatment and response duration were measured. Data were analyzed with ANOVA, two sample T test and Pearson correlation test where they appropriated. There were no significant differences among five groups with respect to the response rate, treatment duration, minimal and maximal response time to treatment and duration of treatment (P>0.05).Also side effects, such as purities, nausea, vomiting and dizziness were not significantly different. We concluded that all five drugs had a similar effect in the treatment of post general anesthesia shivering. Narcotics may be involved other mechanism than opioid receptors to control shivering post operatively.