Muhammad Ilyas, Muhammad Ishaque, Waqar Saleem Farooqi, Babar Hussain Khan, Waseem Ismat.
Intercostal nerve blockade versus local anaesthetic wound infiltration for postcholecystectomy analgesia.
Pak J Med Health Sci Jan ;6(1):104-6.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of local wound infiltration and intercostal nerve block for pain control after cholecystectomy. Design: Quasi experimental Place and duration: Deptt of Anaesthesiology, Sh. Zayed Hospital, Lahore Aug 2005 to Mar 2006. Material and methods: A total of 100 patients (n=100) who underwent open cholecystectomy were included. There were 86 females and 14 males (Female to male ratio was 6.1:1). They were divided into two equal groups (n=50). Each group was studied for postoperative pain control using two different techniques i.e. local anaesthetic wound infiltration in group I and intercostal nerve block in group II. The relief of pain in both groups was assessed by Visual Analogue Score (VAS). Statistical significant difference was seen in mean VAS at intervals of 30 min, 02 hours , 04 hours, and 24 hours {p<0.05). Mean VAS was high in group I but quite low in group II. Other variables of the study (vital signs) showed no significant difference at different postoperative intervals (p>0.05) Conclusion: Intercostal nerve blockade provides better pain control than local anaesthetic wound infiltration after cholecystectomy.

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