Propofol injection pain: comparing the addition of lignocaine or metoclopramide.

Lignocaine has been shown to reduce the incidence of pain on injection of propofol. Metoclopramide, a weak local anaesthetic and commonly used antiemetic, was combined with propofol and the mixture compared, in a prospective, randomized trial, with a lignocaine-propofol combination. The incidence of injection pain was similar in both groups, as were recovery times and incidence of vomiting. The metoclopramide-propofol group experienced a lower incidence of nausea. One patient in the metoclopramide-propofol group had a minor extrapyramidal reaction. No adverse local or haemodynamic effects were seen.