Intravenous atropine in laparoscopic cholecystectomy-is it significant ?

Abstract EN

Bradycardia is a known problem in laparoscopic cholecystectomy especially during pneumoperitoneum and gall bladder dissection which might necessitate the use of intravenous atropine.

The clinical significance of the latter as prophylactic issue in laparoscopic cholecystectomy has not been studied much to clarify its importance and to know how and when it could be used.

We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the significance of preoperative intravenous atropine sulphate to reduce bradycardia during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

One hundred and forty patients were analyzed in a prospective study ; seventy of them were atropine group and another seventy were non atropine group.

Heart rate changes were studied in both groups in respect to preoperative, pneumoperitoneum and postoperative period.

As well as the heart rate changes were evaluated separately in each group in concern of preoperative and pneumoperitoneum period.

The results showed that age, sex, body mass index, duration of surgery and previous operations were comparable in both groups.

Significant bradycardia was seen in non-atropine group during pneumoperitoneum as compared to atropine group (p < 0.05), while insignificant heart rate changes were observed in both groups across preoperative and postoperative period (p > 0.05).

In conclusion, this work shows that a preoperative intravenous dose of atropine sulphate might be of value in preventing bradycardia during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.