Bajracharya JL, et al. - Researchers undertook this prospective, randomized, double-blind, non-inferiority clinical trial to investigate whether intraoperative esmolol infusion is not inferior to lidocaine infusion for opioid intake following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Either intravenous (IV) lidocaine bolus 1.5 mg/kg at induction followed by an infusion (1.5 mg/ kg/h) or IV bolus of esmolol 0.5 mg/kg at induction followed by an infusion (5–15 μg/kg/min) till the close of operation was administered to 90 female patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Apart from no intraoperative opioid supplementation, a standard protocol was followed by remaining aspect of anesthesia. In each group, 2 patients were eliminated. With regard to opioid demand and pain severity in the first 24 h post-surgery, the non-inferiority of infusion of esmolol to lidocaine was evident. During stay in post-anesthesia care unit, more sedated were patients receiving lidocaine vs those receiving esmolol.