Comparison of Lidocaine and Atropine on Fentanyl-Induced Cough: A Randomized Controlled Study.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: Fentanyl and atropine are drugs used for analgesia during induction and for premedication, respectively. The aim of this study was to observe the effect of atropine used for premedication on cough developing in association with fentanyl use during anesthesia induction.

METHODS: This was a single-blind, prospective, multi-arm, parallel, randomized clinical trial involving 120 patients between ages 3 and 15 years undergoing general anesthesia. Patients were randomized into three groups: a control group (Group C), an atropine group (Group A), and a lidocaine group (Group L).

RESULTS: Incidence of cough was 45% (n = 16) in Group C, 16% (n = 6) in Group A, and 16% in Group L (n = 6) (p = 0.009). Cough was moderate in two cases in Group A and in two in Group L, and mild in all others in these groups. In Group C, cough was mild in seven cases, moderate in six, and severe in two.

CONCLUSION: We determined that premedication with atropine suppressed the incidence and severity of fentanyl-induced cough during induction of general anesthesia. We think that, due to its antimuscarinic effect, atropine is as effective as lidocaine as a premedication.