- - - Assistant Professor Surgery, Department of Surgery, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
- - - Student Research Committee, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
- - - Research center for social Determinants of Health, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
- - - Department of Anesthesiology, Critical care and pain management, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran

Background: To relieve the pain caused by propofol injection, a wide range of medicinal and non-pharmacological methods have been investigated. The present study was conducted with the aim of comparing two drugs, ephedrine and dexamethasone, on the pain caused by propofol injection in patients undergoing elective surgery.Methods: This double-blind randomized clinical trial study was conducted on ۶۰ patients who were candidates for elective surgery referred to Peymaniyeh Hospital in Jahrom City. Patients were divided into two groups A: dexamethasone with a dose of ۸ mg/kg and group B: ephedrine with a dose of ۵ mg using a table of random numbers. Dexamethasone and ephedrine were injected within ۵ seconds, and after ۳۰ seconds, propofol ۱% in the amount of ۳ ml (equivalent to ۳۰ mg) was injected into the corresponding vein at a speed of ۰.۵ ml per second. After the injection, the patient was clearly asked about pain or discomfort at the injection site, and the answer was yes or no, and if there was pain, its severity was recorded in the questionnaire based on verbal descriptions. The data was analyzed using SPSS Software (version ۲۱) and using descriptive (frequency, number, standard deviation, and mean) and inferential (Chi-square test) statistics. P<۰.۰۵ was considered as significant.Findings: ۶۰ patients included in the study were divided into two groups of ۳۰ dexamethasone and ephedrine. There was no statistically significant difference between both groups in terms of demographic characteristics (age, gender, and weight) and they were the same. Comparing the pain made by propofol injection in dexamethasone and ephedrine groups, using the Chi-square test, showed that the frequency of pain in the ephedrine group (۳۳.۳%) was not significant compared with dexamethasone group (۴۰%) (P=۰.۲۳).Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, although more people in the ephedrine group were pain free, the amount of pain in the ephedrine and dexamethasone groups was not statistically significant.

dexamethasone, Ephedrine, Propofol, Pain, injection, Elective Surgery