Ropivacaine compared to bupivacaine for post-tonsillectomy pain relief in children: A randomized controlled study

Objective: To compare the effects of ropivacaine and bupivacaine on post-tonsillectomy pain in children. Methods: Forty-six children aged 2-12 years, undergoing tonsillectomy were enrolled in the study. Group 1 (n = 16) received bupivacaine, group 2 (n = 15) received ropivacaine, and a group 3 (control) (n = 15) received 9% NaCl (saline) infiltrated around each tonsil. Pain was evaluated using a modified Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale (mCHEOPS) recorded 15 min and 1, 4, 12, 16, and 24 h postoperatively. Results: No difference was found in the demographic data among the groups. The pain scores were similar between the bupivacaine and ropivacaine groups (p > 0.05). The pain scores in both analgesia groups were significantly (p < 0.05) lower 1, 4, 12, 16, and 24 h postoperatively compared to the control group. Analgesic requirements and the time to first analgesia were also significantly (p < 0.05) different between the analgesia and control groups. Conclusion: Local ropivacaine infiltration is a safe and effective method and equivalent to bupivacaine for post-tonsillectomy pain. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.