Pain on Injection: Propofol MCT Vs Propofol LCT

Background: Propofol is one of the safest drugs in the induction of general anesthesia. The routinely available preparation in market being Propofol LCT (long chain triglycerides) which do have a disadvantage of pain on injection. This pain is very discomforting for the patient and also anesthesiologist. So, they are coming up with new preparation Propofol MCT (medium chain triglycerides) which do have a property of reduction of pain on injection. In view of which we compare the occurrence of pain on injection of Propofol MCT with Propofol LCT and rise in serum triglyceride levels after single induction dose. Materials and methods: After obtaining institutional ethical committee approval, 150 patients of ASA I & II were enrolled in the study undergoing various elective surgeries under general anesthesia, where propofol is used as an induction agent. The study patients were divided into two groups who received Propofol MCT (Group M) and Propofol LCT (Group L) as an induction drug. The intensity of pain is evaluated by using visual analogue score (VAS). Similarly, side effects of Propofol MCT were observed. Results: Group M showed reduced pain score (4.15 ± 1.90) after Propofol MCT injection along with less incidence of pain compared to Group L (6.37± 2.49). Serum triglyceride levels had no significant difference in preoperative and postoperative values. Conclusion: In conclusion, pain on injection with Propofol MCT (4.15 ± 1.90) is less compared to Propofol LCT (6.37± 2.49); there is no evidence of elevation of triglyceride levels after single induction dose in the study. Keywords: Propofol, Pain on Injection, Propofol MCT, Propofol LCT, Serum Triglycerides