Reduction in the succinylcholine induced myalgia with lidocaine

Background and aim: There has been an increasing need to find an easily available, effective and feasible method of reducing the incidence of myalgia. Hence, the purpose of the present study is to evaluate and compare the effect of pretreatment with intravenous lidocaine in succinylcholine induced post operative myalgia. Materials and methods: Total of 160 patients were included in the study. Each of the participants were informed about the study, and the informed consent was signed by all. Total of 160 patients were divided into two groups. Group A consists of 80 patients, they were administered with intravenous lidocaine 3 minutes before administering succinylcholine and the rest 80 patients were taken as control group. Results: There is significant reduction in pain over time within the two treatment groups. Though the intensity of Post Operative Myalgia does not significantly reduce (p>0.016) from 1hr to 24hrs in any of the groups, there is a significant reduction (p< 0.016) in the intensity of Post Operative Myalgia from 24hrs to 48hrs in all the treatment groups. Conclusion: Lidocaine was found to be superior increasing the number of patients without muscle pain and decreasing the frequency of moderate and severe myalgia. Moderate and severe pain were reported only in (2.5%, 0%), (10%, 2.5%) and (5%, 0%) patients at 1hr, 24hrs and 48hrs respectively. Thus lidocaine pretreatment is concluded to be the most effective method of preventing succinylcholine myalgia.