PREOPERATIVE NAPROXEN SODIUM REDUCES POSTOPERATIVE PAIN FOLLOWING ARTHROSCOPIC KNEE SURGERY

This study war undertaken to assess the efficacy of a single preoperat ive dose of naproxen sodium in reducing postoperative pain and length of day surgery stay in patients undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. A randomized, double-blind clinical trial war carried out on 66 ASA I and ASA II patients scheduled for arthroscopic knee surgery. The treat ment group (n = 26) received two capsules containing 275 mg of naproxe n sodium each, and the control group (n = 40) received placebo. Preope rative and postoperative visual analogue pain scores, postoperative an algesic requirements in hospital as well as 24 hr after discharge, and length of day surgery stay were studied. There was a decrease in post operative pain, both in hospital (naproxen 0.7 +/- 1.2 vs placebo 2.2 +/- 2.3) and at 24 hr after discharge (naproxen 0.8 +/- 1.9 vs placebo 3.8 +/- 3.2) (P = 0.0001). There war no difference in the need for in -hospital postoperative analgesics or in the lime to discharge. Howeve r, there war a difference in the use of analgesics after discharge (na proxen group 30.4%, vs placebo group 71.4%) (P < 0.01). The results of this study suggest that a single preoperative dose of 550 mg naproxen sodium is effective in reducing postoperative pain in arthroscopic kn ee surgery, both in the immediate postoperative period and for up to 2 4 hr after the completion of surgery.