Effect of nalbuphine on rocuronium injection pain

Rocuronium-associated intravenous injection pain occurs frequently in children during induction of anesthesia. The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the benefits of nalbuphine in patients with rocuronium-associated injection pain.

Ninety children undergoing tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in our hospital between October 2019 and September 2020 were randomly divided into the following groups, with 30 patients per group: control group (group C), lidocaine group (group L), and nalbuphine group (group N). Routine 0.1 mg/kg midazolam and 2 mg/kg propofol were injected intravenously. After sedation, children in group C, group L, and group N were administered an intravenous injection of saline, lidocaine (10 mg/mL), or nalbuphine hydrochloride (2 mg/mL), respectively, at a dosage of 0.1 mL/kg. Intravenous injection of rocuronium stock solution (0.6 mg/kg) was administered 2 minutes later. Pain was evaluated using Ambeshs 4-pointscale. The incidence of rocuronium injection pain was compared among the three groups, and postoperative adverse reactions, such as drowsiness, bradycardia, hypotension, and respiratory depression, were evaluated.

The incidence of injection pain among children in group N was significantly lower than that in group C and group L (p<0.05). The incidence of drowsiness in group N was significantly higher than that in the other groups (p<0.05). The incidences of hypotension, bradycardia, and respiratory depression were not significantly different among the three groups (p>0.05).

Intravenous nalbuphine during induction of anesthesia effectively prevented rocuronium-associated injection pain in children. Drowsiness is a complication.