Reduction of propofol injection pain with a double lumen IV set

Study Objective: To investigate if the use of a new double lumen IV set (DLIS) decreases the incidence of propofol injection pain compared with single lumen IV set (SLIS) administration. Design: Prospective, randomized double-blinded study. Setting: Operating rooms in a university hospital. Patients: 50 adult ASA physical status I and II patients of both genders undergoing general anesthesia for elective surgery. Interventions: Patients were injected with propofol either through a DLIS or a SLIS. Measurements and Main Results: Three different pain indices were recorded to be present or absent: (1) verbal report of pain during propofol injection, (2) grimacing during propofol injection, and (3) recall of injection pain in the recovery room. When the DLIS was used, the incidence of verbal pain, grimacing during propofol injection, and recall of pain during recovery were lowered significantly by 53%, 46%, and 52%, respectively (chi square analysis of contingency table with Yates correction, p < 0.05). Conclusions: The DLIS significantly reduced the incidence of propofol injection pain compared with SLIS. Further studies are indicated to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this device. (C) 1997 by Elsevier Science Inc.