The Effect of Thiopentone and Propofol Upon the Incidence of Postoperative Shivering

Objectives: To study the effect of two intravenous anesthetic induction agents, thiopentone and propofol, upon the incidence of postoperative shivering. Setting and design: This is a prospective study conducted in Prince Rashed Ben Al-Hassan Hospital-Jordan. Methods: One hundred female patients undergoing elective caesarian section, were randomly divided into two equal groups, to receive either thiopentone or propofol for induction of anesthesia. Other than the induction agentr the anesthesia regimen was standardized for all cases. Results: All patients were observed for 30 minutes after entry into the recovery room to assess the presence and intensity of shivering. Twenty patients in the thiopentone group and 5 patients in the propofol group shivered postoperatively. No statistical significant difference in axillary temperature was found between shivering and non-shivering patients. Conclusion: The incidence of postoperative shivering is reduced significantly using propofol compared to thiopentone, so the incidence can be influenced by the choice of induction agent.