• Faisal M Hilal, Omar A Alyamani, and Abdullah M Kaki.
• From the Department of Anesthesia (Hilal), King Fahad General Hospital, and from the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care (Alyamani, Kaki), Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Saudi Med J. 2022 Jun 1; 43 (6): 551558551-558.

ObjectivesTo assess the effect of bupivacaine application following pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) ablation on trigeminal facial pain.MethodsA total of 73 patients with trigeminal facial pain refractory to conservative therapy were randomized into 2 groups. Group I subjects underwent PRF ablation procedure, followed by the injection of 1 ml of bupivacaine. Whereas, Group II underwent the same procedure followed by the injection of 1 ml of normal saline. Pain relief duration, the time of onset of pain relief, and analgesic effect evaluated by numerical pain rating scale were considered as outcomes.ResultsThirty-nine patients in Group I and 34 in Group II. The duration of pain relief in the 2 groups was comparable (5 months in Group I vs. 6 months in Group II, p=0.53). The onset of pain relief in the patients of Group I was shorter than Group II (0 days vs. 4.5 days, p<0.001). The binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the application of bupivacaine alone had a significant effect on the reduction of the intake of medications (p<0.05).ConclusionIn situations involving patients who require rapid pain relief, bupivacaine injection following PRF ablation can be employed to provide immediate relief without subjecting the patients to the risks associated with major complications.Copyright: © Saudi Medical Journal.

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