Water ice after surgery reduces opioid requirement

To evaluate the effect of an ice-lolly on acute postoperative pain. Randomised prospective intervention study. A total of 100 patients scheduled for an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were recruited to participate in the study. Patients were randomised to receive either an ice-lolly or no treatment after arrival at the post-anaesthesia care unit. The analgesic requirements (opioid and non-opioid), pain scores, and the presence of nausea and vomiting were registered on the post-anaesthesia care unit and ward during the first 24 hours after surgery. This study is registered in the Nederlands Trial Register under number NTR5335. In the post-anaesthesia care unit, pain scores did not differ between patients who received an ice-lolly and those who did not. The opioid requirements of patients who had consumed an ice-lolly were significantly lower than those of the patients who had not (cumulative piritramide dose: 4.9 (SD 4.2) with ice-lolly vs. 6.6 (SD 4.0) without ice-lolly mg; P = 0.04). Furthermore, patients who did not receive an ice-lolly required more additional pain relief with non-opioid analgesics than patients who had been given an icelolly (31% vs. 10%; P = 0.01). Combining all administered opioid and non-opioid analgesics into one analgesic composite score showed that patients who received an icelolly required significantly fewer analgesics in the post-anaesthesia care unit than patients who had not been given an ice-lolly (2.2 (SD 1.7) vs. 2.9 (SD 1.8); P = 0.03). No differences between the groups in pain scores or use of analgesics were observed on the ward in the first 24 hours postoperatively. The postoperative consumption of an ice-lolly reduces postoperative opioid and nonopioid analgesic requirements in the post-anaesthesia care unit.