To explore the effect of tetracaine hydrochloride mortar on the tolerance of indwelling catheterization in male patients after general anesthesia.

From June 2018 to October 2019, male patients in our hospital who underwent ureteroscopic lithotripsy, laparoscopic internal spermatic vein ligation or laparoscopic renal cyst unroofing under general anesthesia were randomly divided into the tetracaine group and control group, according to a random number table prospectively. All patients were placed catheters before awaking once the operations were finished. In the tetracaine group, 1% tetracaine hydrochloride mortar was used to lubricate the catheter and about 8 ml of the mortar was injected into the urethra before the insertion. While in the control group, paraffin oil was used to lubricate the catheter and the catheter was inserted routinely. Catheter removal was performed 24 hours postoperative in both groups. The differences of pain visual analogue scale (VAS) and urethral irritation grades were compared between the two groups when awaking, 2 and 6 hours after surgeries, respectively.

A total of 116 patients were enrolled in the group, including 88 cases of ureteroscopic lithotripsy, 13 cases of laparoscopic internal spermatic vein ligation and 15 cases of laparoscopic renal cyst unroofing. The baseline characteristics of the 58 patients in each group were similar. The VAS scores of the tetracaine group were significantly lower than that of the control group at awaking [(1.79±0.85) vs (2.57±1.13), P<0.001] and 2 hours postoperative [(1.59±0.70) vs (2.02±0.83), P=0.003], respectively. Furthermore, the percents of severe urethral irritation symptoms (grade II/III) were also lower than that of the control group at awaking (3.5% vs 15.5%, P<0.001) and 2 hours after operation (3.5% vs 10.3%, P=0.035). While there were no significant differences in VAS scores and urethral irritation grades between the two groups 6 hours postoperative.

Tetracaine hydrochloride mortar could improve the early tolerance of indwelling catheterization in male patients undergoing general anesthesia, and it is worth popularizing in clinical practice.