Postoperative shivering is a common complication of general anesthesia, which can increase oxygen consumption, cause patient discomfort, and lead to hemodynamic instability. Preventing this complication is essential for improving the quality of postoperative care. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of dexmedetomidine and meperidine in preventing shivering after lower limb surgery under general anesthesia. This double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 155 patients aged 18–60 years at 5 Azar Hospital in Gorgan. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups: dexmedetomidine (n=81) and meperidine (n=74). The study drugs were administered intravenously during the last 30 minutes of surgery. Incidence of shivering, nausea, atropine consumption, and demographic characteristics were recorded and analyzed. The results showed that the incidence of postoperative shivering was significantly lower in the dexmedetomidine group compared to the meperidine group (12.3% vs. 25.7%; χ²=4.52, P=0.030). Postoperative nausea was also reported less frequently in the dexmedetomidine group (9.9% vs. 24.3%; χ²=5.78, P=0.010). No significant difference was observed between the two groups regarding atropine consumption (9.9% vs. 2.7%; P=0.070). The distribution of analgesics used (ketamine, alfentanil, or a combination) was similar between the groups (P=0.060). This study demonstrated that dexmedetomidine is more effective than meperidine in preventing postoperative shivering following lower limb surgery and is associated with fewer side effects. Therefore, dexmedetomidine is recommended as the preferred drug for reducing postoperative shivering in patients undergoing general anesthesia.
Alinaghimaddah et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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