Introduction: Shivering is one of the side effects of anesthesia that occurs both in general anesthesia and regional anesthesia. Ketamine, as an N-methyldiaspartate receptor antagonist, may prevent shivering after spinal anesthesia by reducing central heat distribution to the environment. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of ketamine in preventing tremors after spinal anesthesia in lower limb orthopedic surgeries.
Methods & Materials: This randomized, single-blind clinical trial study was conducted on 60 patients who were candidates for orthopedic surgery of the lower limb referred to 5 Azar Hospital in Gorgan. Patients were randomly divided into two equal groups of ketamine (0.25 mg/kg) and control (placebo). The data collection tool includes a checklist containing information; Age, gender, mean arterial pressure, percentage of arterial oxygen saturation, heart rate, tremors and hallucinations. Data analysis was done using spss software version 21 and descriptive statistics and inferential statistical tests.
Results: The incidence of shivering after spinal anesthesia was 13.33% in patients receiving prophylactic ketamine and 40% in patients receiving placebo. The incidence of hallucinations in the ketamine group was 26.67%. The rate of nausea and vomiting was similar in both groups. According to this study, between the two groups in terms of hemodynamic parameters, including mean arterial pressure, heart rate, percentage of arterial oxygen saturation; There was no significant difference.
Conclusion: The incidence of shivering in spinal anesthesia in the preventive use of ketamine has been more effective than placebo. Considering the effectiveness of ketamine in reducing the incidence of shivering, its use as a prevention is suggested to reduce the incidence of shivering.