A clinical evaluation of various analgesic and anaesthetic techniques for endoscopes

Aim: To evaluate the efficiency of different analgesic and/or anaesthetic techniques for endoscopy and complications associated with it. Materials and methods: The present study of 350 patients between the age group of 1-85 years was carried out at Fathima institute of Medical sciences. The study included patients posted for endoscopes with diagnostic as well as therapeutic indications. The types of scopies included are (1) oesophagoscopy, (2) bronchoscopy. The scopes used were rigid as well as fiberoptic scopes. Three techniques were used – • Topical anaesthesia, • Topical anaesthesia with sedation and/or a analgesia, • Balanced general anaesthesia. Drugs used for sedation were as follows - They were used in combination as well as a sole agent intravenously prior to the procedure. • Pentazocine hydrochloride - 15-30 mg IV • Pentazocine + Diazepam - Pentazocine 15 mg IV (fixed dose), Diazepam 5-10 mg IV depending on the requirement of the patient. • Pentazocine hydrochloride + Promethazine hydrochloride - Pentazocine 15-30 mg IV and Promethazine 12.5-25 mg IV. • Diazepam - 5-15 mg IV. Result: The results obtained were analyzed and it was observed that local anaesthesia when supplemented with analgesic and/or anaesthesia, patients tolerated the procedure well and there was not much effect on haemodynamics. Conclusion: The study concluded that topical anaesthesia with sedation sufficed for majority of patients and general anaesthesia is reserved for a small set of population requiring endoscopy.