Paracervical Block and Paracetamol for Pain Reduction During IUD Insertion: A Randomized Controlled Study

Abstract

Introduction: Unintended pregnancies and its consequences are a considerable public health problem. Intrauterine Devices (IUDs) are reversible, safe and effective contraceptive method for most women. Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of paracervical block and paracetamol on pain reduction during IUD insertion. Materials and Methods: A total of 118 patients were enrolled into this prospective randomized study. Paracervical block was performed in 42 patients (Group 1), 30 patients received paracetamol (Group 2) and 46 patients did not receive any analgesic method (Group 3). The primary end point was to determine the pain levels using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) during (VAS1) and after (VAS2) insertion of IUDs. Results: Mean VAS1 and VAS2 scores of groups were 3.69±1.6 and 3.02±0.1 for Group 1; 3.73±0.8 and 3.0±0.7 for Group 2; 4.37±1.4 and 3.83±1.2 for Group 3 respectively. There were no significant difference between VAS1 among the groups. However VAS2 scores were significantly different between Group 3 and both Group 1 (p<0.001) and Group 2 (p<0.001). Neither VAS1 scores (p=0.9) nor VAS2 scores (p=0.5) were different between Group 1 and 2. Conclusion: Paracetamol and paracervical block are both effective methods for pain relief after IUD insertion and there is no difference between these two methods with respect to pain relief.

Keywords

• contraception
• oral analgesic
• pain management