AUTHOR=Zheng Yuling , Huang Jinping , Mai Ying , Li Xiaoling , Zhang Zhongqi 

TITLE=The median effective dose of propofol combined with butorphanol during artificial abortion: a randomized controlled trial

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2023.1226495

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2023.1226495

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=Propofol-opioids are the most common drug combination and can reduce the dose of propofol and incidence of adverse events in painless artificial abortion. We hypothesized that butorphanol may reduce the median effective dose (ED50) of propofol, propofol injection pain and postoperative uterine contractions pain. Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, controlled study. Fifty-four female patients, ASA I or II, age 18-49 years, undergoing painless artificial abortion were randomly assigned into two groups: Group P (propofol) and Group PB (propofol plus 10 μg/kg butorphanol). According to the pre-experiment, the initial dose of the propofol for the P and PB groups was 3 and 2.5 mg/kg with a dose gradient of 0.25 mg/kg. The ED50 of propofol were analyzed using the probit regression analysis. The total propofol dose consumed, recovery time, and anesthesia-related adverse events were also recorded. Results: There were 25 and 29 patients in the P and PB groups, respectively. The ED50 (95% CI) of the propofol for artificial abortion were 2.477 (2.186-2.737) and 1.555 (1.173-1.846) mg/kg in P and PB groups, respectively. The total propofol dose consumed was (150.7 ± 21.7) mg and (110.4 ± 28.2) mg in the P and PB groups, respectively (P<0.001). Compared with the P group, injectionsite pain (76% vs. 20.7%) and uterine contraction pain (72% vs. 6.9%) in PB group had a significant decrease (P<0.001). Conclusion: Combination of propofol with 10 μg/kg butorphanol reduced the ED50 of propofol, decreased the incidence of propofol injection-site pain and postoperative uterine contraction pain during painless artificial abortion compared with propofol alone.