Open AccessEfficacy and tolerability of ready‐to‐use intravenous paracetamol solution as monotherapy or as an adjunct analgesic therapy for postoperative pain in patients undergoing elective ambulatory surgery: open, prospective study
Author(s) -
Göröcs T. S.,
Lambert M.,
Rinne T.,
Krekler M.,
Modell S.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
international journal of clinical practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.756
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 1742-1241
pISSN - 1368-5031
DOI - 10.1111/j.1742-1241.2008.01914.x
Subject(s) - medicine , analgesic , ambulatory , anesthesia , tolerability , visual analogue scale , adverse effect , acetaminophen , surgery , elective surgery , prospective cohort study , concomitant
Summary Aims: Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is one of the most widely used drugs for analgesia. We aimed to investigate the use of a ready‐to‐use intravenous (i.v.) paracetamol 1 g solution (Perfalgan ® ) as monotherapy or as adjunct therapy in patients undergoing elective ambulatory surgery. Methods: Open, non‐controlled, observational study in six centres. Anaesthesiologists applied paracetamol 1 g intravenously about 30 min before the planned end of surgery and followed the patients up who reported postoperative pain visual analogue scale (VAS 0 mm minimum, 100 mm maximum) for pain rating until discharge (mean 123 ± 58 min). Results: A total of 601 patients (58.7% female patients, mean age 46.7 ± 15.4 years; 54% and 42% in American Society of Anesthesiologists ASA class I or II respectively) undergoing minor knee surgery (71.4%), minor gynaecological procedures (19.0%) or varicose vein surgery (9.6%) were included, of whom 590 patients received one i.v. infusion. Mean duration of surgery was 37 ± 21 min. Analgesic concomitant medication was applied in 57%. Mean self‐reported pain intensity on the VAS was 33.2 at 15 min after end of surgery and was reduced to 19.2 at patient discharge (−13.9 points). Relative pain reduction was similar in the three surgery subtypes. The majority of patients achieved a VAS score < 30 mm and were classified as responders; i.v. paracetamol was well tolerated and no serious adverse events and only one possibly drug‐related adverse event was reported. The majority of physicians (80.5%) and patients (81.6%) rated the efficacy, and satisfaction with therapy respectively, as very good or good. Conclusions: Ready‐to‐use i.v. paracetamol, used as monotherapy or in combination with other analgesics, may be effective for alleviating postoperative pain and well tolerated in patients undergoing ambulatory surgery.