Comparison of local anesthetic effects of tramadol and lidocaine used subcutaneously in minor surgeries with local anesthesia

OBJECTIVES

In this study, the local anesthetic and post-operative analgesic effects of tramadol were compared to those of lidocaine in minor surgeries under local anesthesia.

METHODS

This double-blind clinical trial study included 70 patients in ASA physical status I and II, aging between 20 and 50 years, undergoing minor surgery (lipoma excision and revision of scars less than 4 cm within 30 minutes or less) under local anesthesia. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either 2 mg/kg tramadol (group T, n = 35) or 1 mg/kg lidocaine 2% (group L, n = 35) subcutaneously. Scores of the pain sensation were recorded as VAS (visual analogue scale 0-10) during injection, incision and 15, 30 and 45 minutes after incision, and then 2, 4 and 6 hours post-operatively at the ward.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference between pain scores of the two groups during injection, incision and surgery or in the post-operative period at the ward (p = 0.181). Incidence of nausea was 0% and 22.8% in group L and group T, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.002). Furthermore, 82.9% of subjects in group L and 60% of subjects in group T needed acetaminophen to control their pain and the difference was significant (p = 0.004).

CONCLUSION

Tramadol 2 mg/kg has local anesthetic and post-operative analgesic effect equal to lidocaine 1 mg/kg in minor surgeries performed subcutaneously. Therefore, we concluded that tramadol can be used as an alternative drug to lidocaine in local anesthesia and has the ability to decrease the demand for post operative analgesics.

Soil contamination with Toxocara spp. eggs in the public parks from three areas of Khorram Abad, Iran

Toxocariasis is a parasitic zoonose caused by the infection of larval nematode Toxocara species. A total of 285 soil samples from January to March 2009 in 18 public parks were collected to test for soil contamination with Toxocara eggs. Soil samples were investigated for the present of Toxocara eggs using sucrose flotation method. Distribution of Toxocara spp. eggs in samples collected from public parks was 63.3%. The highest number of eggs recovered from 200 g of soil was 128. A total 304 eggs were recovered and 42.1% fully developed to embryonated egg stages. The contamination rate in second region in the studied areas was higher than the other regions. A similar tendency was observed in parks size, so that parks higher than 10,000 m2 were more highly contaminated. The present investigation clearly shows that public parks have been contaminated with Toxocara eggs in Khorram Abad, suggesting that care should be taken when using public parks.