Deep breathing alleviates propofol-induced pain: a prospective, randomized, single-blind study

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Pain Management
• Patient Comfort

Background:

• Propofol is a widely used anesthetic agent for inducing general anesthesia.
• Pain during propofol injection is a frequent and undesirable side effect.
• Effective strategies to mitigate injection pain are clinically important.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of deep breathing in attenuating pain associated with propofol injection.
• To compare pain perception between patients practicing deep breathing and those breathing normally during anesthesia induction.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled trial involving 200 patients undergoing elective surgery.
• Patients were randomized into two groups: deep breathing (Group D) and usual breathing (Group C).
• Pain was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), alongside recording pain expressions and recalled pain in the Post-Anesthetic Care Unit (PACU).

Main Results:

• Group D demonstrated significantly lower VAS scores for propofol injection pain compared to Group C (20 vs. 37, P=0.017).
• Incidence of grimacing was substantially reduced in the deep breathing group (18% vs. 45%, P<0.001).
• Recalled pain in the PACU was also significantly lower in Group D (16 vs. 26, P=0.031).

Conclusions:

• Deep breathing is an effective, safe, and cost-efficient method for reducing propofol injection pain.
• This non-pharmacological intervention improves patient comfort during anesthesia induction.
• The findings support the integration of deep breathing techniques into routine anesthetic practice.