Comparison between pentazocine, pethidine and placebo in the treatment of post-anesthetic shivering.

<bold>Background: </bold>We have compared the effects of pethidine, pentazocine and placebo in the treatment of post-anesthetic shivering.<bold>Methods: </bold>Forty-five patients who shivered after routine surgery were allocated randomly to receive normal saline (n=15), pentazocine 7.5 mg (n=15) or pethidine 17.5 mg (n=15).<bold>Results: </bold>After 10 min, 13 patients had stopped shivering in the pethidine group, which was significantly more than the incidence in the two other groups (placebo=2; pentazocine=4) (P<0.01). Pentazocine was not significantly different from normal saline in affecting shivering.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>We conclude that pentazocine 7.5 mg was not effective in the treatment of post-anesthetic shivering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]