Preoperative droperidol improved postoperative pain relief in patients undergoing rotator-cuff repair during general anesthesia using intravenous morphine.

Study Objective: To demonstrate the effect of preoperative and intraoperative, small-dose intravenous (IV) droperidol on postoperative pain relief in orthopedic patients given general anesthesia with morphine.

Design: Randomized, double-blind, prospective study.

Setting: University-affiliated hospital.

Patients: 84 ASA physical status I and II patients undergoing shoulder rotator-cuff repair with general anesthesia.

Interventions: Patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Group P (n = 27) wee given droperidol 10 microg/kg IV before skin incision; Group A (n = 30) received droperidol 10 microg/kg IV after skin incision; and Group C (n = 27) served as controls. General anesthesia consisted of sevoflurane and nitrous oxide in oxygen and IV morphine 0.2 mg/kg, which was given before skin incision.

Measurements: The degree of postoperative pain as assessed by postoperative pain scores and the number of supplemental analgesics given, and the frequency of postoperative nausea and vomiting, nightmares, and respiratory depression were compared among the three groups. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Main Results: The postoperative pain score distribution was significantly greater in smaller values in Groups P and A than in Group C (p < 0.01). The number of supplemental analgesics given in the first 18 hours postoperatively was significantly smaller in Group P than in Groups A or C (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Preoperative IV droperidol resulted in improved postoperative pain relief inpatients undergoing shoulder rotator cuff surgery with general anesthesia using IV morphine.