Effects of entonox in comparison of lidocaine on pain severity during episiotomy incision in nulliparous women: A randomized control trial

Background & Aim: Episiotomy is one of the most common surgical procedures in obstetrics, which requires analgesia. Entonox gas is known to have analgesic and sedative properties. However, no studies have been found on the analgesic effects of Entonox on episiotomy incision. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the effects of Entonox and lidocaine on pain intensity during episiotomy incision in nulliparous women. Materials and Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 120 term nulliparous women, who met the inclusion criteria. Subjects were selected by randomized sampling and equally divided into two groups of intervention and control (n=60). In the intervention group, Entonox gas was applied two minutes before episiotomy incision until the end of the procedure. On the other hand, the control group received 5 ml of lidocaine 2% as routine care before episiotomy incision. Data were collected using visual analogue scale to compare the study groups in terms of pain intensity. In addition, patient satisfaction with pain management technique during episiotomy and side effects of Entonox were assessed. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 22 using Mann-Whitney U and Chi-square tests, and P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: In this study, no significant difference was observed between the intervention and control groups regarding pain intensity (P=0.52). Moreover, no significant difference was observed in the satisfaction level of the two groups (P=0.70). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, Entonox could be used as an effective and noninvasive alternative to lidocaine to reduce pain during episiotomy incision without significant side effects.