THE ANALGESIC EFFICACY OF IBUPROFEN IN PERIODONTAL SURGERY - A MULTICENTER STUDY

The efficacy of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, ibuprofen, wa s evaluated in pain control following periodontal surgery. This type o f agent acts peripherally by inhibiting the release of prostaglandins and minimizing the local inflammatory response. Thus there may be an a dvantage in pre-treatment administration of the drug so as to delay or even prevent postoperative pain. The study was multicentre, involving a Public Hospital Periodontal Unit, two specialist periodontal practi ces in Sydney, NSW, and two in Canberra, ACT. One hundred and twenty-s even patients who were to undergo periodontal surgery were randomly gi ven either two 200 mg tablets of ibuprofen or two matching placebo tab lets at least 30 minutes before administration of local anaesthesia. T he procedure was double blind: neither the patient nor the clinician w as aware of the tablet identity. Postoperatively, all patients were gi ven labelled ibuprofen for pain relief, but were randomly divided into two groups: As directed who were instructed to take the drug regularl y for two days postoperatively, and As required, who were to take the drug only if needed for pain relief. All patients completed a diary re cording quantity and time of medication, and regular assessment of pai n experience utilizing a visual analogue scale. The As directed group showed no significant difference in pain experience between pre-operat ive and post-operative only medication, but the As required group expe rienced significantly less pain and requirement for medication if the ibuprofen was administered pre-operatively.