Evaluation of nicotine patch in pain control of patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy

ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the effects of nicotine patch on pain control, occurrence of nausea and its hemodynamic repercussions in laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedures. Methods: we conducted an analytical, prospective, randomized, triple-blinded, clinical study between January and July 2017. The sample consisted of 17 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for the treatment of cholelithiasis. Nine patients used nicotine patch, and eight, placebo patch. The studied variables were pain, nausea, patient satisfaction, blood pressure, heart rate, oximetry and morphine rescue. Results: taking into account the pain and nausea parameters, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups (p>0.05). Also, the evaluation of rescue medication, both opioids and prokinetics, did not show any significant statistical difference between the groups. Among the hemodynamic parameters, there was only one statistically significant difference in the analysis of oxygen saturation and systolic blood pressure (SBP) six hours after surgery: the mean oxygen saturation was higher in the Test group (97.89 x 95.88) and the mean SBP was higher in the Control group (123.89 x 110.0). Conclusion: although pain levels were lower for nicotine within 24 hours, the action of nicotine and the need for rescue opioids in pain control were not statistically significant between the groups and at the time intervals studied. There was no clinical repercussion in the hemodynamic parameters.