ANALGESIA FOR OUTPATIENT SURGERY - PLACEBO VERSUS NAPROXEN SODIUM (A NONSTEROIDAL ANTIINFLAMMATORY DRUG) GIVEN BEFORE OR AFTER SURGERY

One hundred and eighty patients scheduled for day-care surgery were al located randomly to one of three groups to receive naproxen sodium 110 0 mg 1 h prior to surgery, naproxen sodium 1100 mg immediately after s urgery, or placebo. The pre-surgery naproxen sodium group had signific antly lower pain scores 1 h post-operatively and at discharge than the placebo group. At discharge both treatment groups were better than pl acebo. At 24 h post-operatively only the post-operative naproxen sodiu m group had lower pain scores. There were no difference in post-operat ive analgesic requirements until discharge between the groups, but at 24 h post-operatively the placebo group had required significantly mor e analgesics than the treatment groups. A questionnaire concerning gen eral acceptability of anaesthesia/analgesia showed similar results. Ou r conclusion is that naproxen is better than placebo for treatment of post-operative pain. The time of administration pre- or post-operative ly is important for the immediate post-operative pain, but we found no support for the existence of 'pre-emptive analgesia'.