Intraperitoneal lignocaine for pain relief after total abdominal hysterectomy

In this preliminary randomized study, we have measured pain scores at rest and on movement, 24 and 48 h after operation in 19 control patients, who received 50 ml of saline i.p., and in 20 test patients, in whom 50 ml of saline solution containing lignocaine 200 mg and adrenaline 1:500,000 were instilled into the peritoneal cavity after total abdominal hysterectomy. We found that there was no difference in linear analogue scores for nausea, pain on movement or morphine consumption after operation between the two groups, but pain scores at rest were significantly lower in the lignocaine group at 24 and 48 h compared with the saline group. In the lignocaine group, blood sampling over a 3-h period revealed a mean maximum serum concentration of 0.4 microgram ml-1 at 3 h and a highest concentration in any patient of 0.87 microgram ml-1.