Opioid Analgesia for Hysterosalpingography: Controlled Double-Blind Prospective Trial with Remifentanil and Placebo

BACKGROUND/AIMS: A hysterosalpingogram is an integral part of the evaluation of infertility, however, it is often painful. METHODS: We conducted a randomized double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of intravenous infusion of remifentanil in women undergoing hysterosalpingography (HSG). We randomly allocated 62 patients scheduled for HSG to receive either a continuous infusion of 0.25 microg.kg(-1) of remifentanil or placebo. The degree of pain was documented via 10-cm visual analog scales (VAS). Patients' discomfort, side effects and recovery times were also recorded. RESULTS: The VAS scores during HSG were 1.25 +/- 1.31 in the remifentanil group and 4.78 +/- 1.7 in the placebo group (p < 0.001). There were more patients in the remifentanil group that rated their condition as excellent (p < 0.001). The groups did not differ with regard to the incidence of side effects. The recovery times were found statistically longer in the remifentanil group (14 +/- 5 vs. 10 +/- 3 min). All the patients were discharged 30 min after the procedures without any side effects. CONCLUSION: Remifentanil infusion during HSG is superior to placebo for relief of pain with minimal opioid side effects.